Free home COVID-19 testing claim site launched by the White House – Orange County Registry

The Biden administration on Tuesday quietly launched its website for Americans to request free home COVID-19 testing, a day before the site is scheduled to go live.

Webpage, COVIDTests.gov, which now includes a link for Americans to order four home tests per residential address, to be sent by the US Postal Service. It marks President Joe Biden’s latest step to address criticisms of low inventories and long lines for testing during a time of nationwide spike in COVID-19 cases due to the omicron variant.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the site was in “beta testing” and operating at “limited capacity” ahead of its official launch. The website will officially launch mid-morning Wednesday, Psaki said.

She added that the administration had anticipated “one or two errors”, but had IT experts from across the government working to prepare the site.

Last month, Biden announced that the US would buy 500 million home tests to kickstart the program, and on Thursday the president announced that he was doubling orders to 1 billion tests.

But Americans shouldn’t expect a quick turnaround in orders, and they’ll have to plan ahead and order tests before they meet federal guidelines for when to use the test. check.

The White House says “tests will typically ship within 7-12 days of order” via USPS, reporting 1-3 days for first-class package service in the US. continental United States.

Officials stress that the federal website is just one way for people to buy COVID-19 tests, and that shortages of home test kits have shown signs of abating as more supplies roll out. market.

As of Saturday, private insurers have been required to cover the cost of rapid at-home testing, allowing Americans to be reimbursed for tests they buy at pharmacies and online retailers. . That includes up to eight tests per month.