Americans can again order 4 free at-home COVID tests from federal government

Americans can once again order free at-home COVID-19 tests from the federal government starting Thursday ahead of the upcoming respiratory virus season.

This is the third year in a row the Biden-Harris administration has allowed Americans to order over-the-counter tests at no charge.

Anyone wanting to order tests can do so at COVID.gov/tests. Four tests will be shipped free by USPS, starting Sep. 30.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) first made the announcement last month that the free COVID tests program was restarting.

"As families start to move indoors this fall and begin spending time with their loved ones, both very old and very young, they will once again have the opportunity to order up to four new COVID-19 tests free of charge and have them sent directly to their homes," Dawn O'Connell, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at HHS, said during a media briefing at the time. "These tests will help keep families and their loved ones safe this fall and winter season."

She added that the tests will be able to detect infection from currently circulating variants.

Currently, KP.3.1.1, an offshoot of the omicron variant, is the dominant variant in the U.S., accounting for an estimated 52.7% of cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

During the same media briefing, CDC director Dr. Mandy Cohen said immunity from vaccination and previous COVID infection have helped limit the burden of COVID on the health care system.

"I do want to acknowledge that we continue to see a lot of COVID-19 activity across the country right now in tests coming back from labs," Cohen said, adding, "Circulating COVID disease is not translating into similar increases in emergency room visits and hospitalizations or deaths."