How to Order Your Free COVID-19 Tests

Following a summer uptick of COVID-19 infections, Americans are now able to order free COVID-19 tests starting Thursday.  

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services rolled out the initiative ahead of the holiday season, when colds, flus and other illnesses become more common.  

Households will be able to obtain four free antigen COVID-19 tests by visiting COVIDtests.gov, and filling out their name and shipping address, a repeat of the 2023 program. And the department says that these tests will be able to "detect current COVID-19 variants and can be used through the end of the year," according to its website. 

The rapid at-home tests will start to be shipped the week of Sept. 30. 

The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that test positivity for COVID-19 stood at 14.9%, a decrease from the 17.8% high reached in August, though that number is still elevated. By comparison, in May, positivity hovered around 3-4%.

In 2023, 900 million COVID-10 tests went out to Americans through the program, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

Last month, U.S. regulators approved an updated COVID-19 vaccine that seeks to combat the KP variant strain, the predominant variant that has been circulating. Individuals as young as 6 months will be eligible to receive the shot.

“Vaccination continues to be the cornerstone of COVID-19 prevention,” Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research said in a press release. “Given waning immunity of the population from previous exposure to the virus and from prior vaccination, we strongly encourage those who are eligible to consider receiving an updated COVID-19 vaccine to provide better protection against currently circulating variants.”