The federal government website to request free rapid coronavirus tests went live on Tuesday, ahead of its planned launch on Wednesday.
Covidtests.gov/es It is the Spanish version of the site that is presented as an attempt by the administration of President Biden to remedy the national shortage of these home tests, with the president promising that the government will provide millions of these kits to Americans for free in the next few years. months.
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Here’s what you need to know to order COVID-19 home tests through the federal government’s website:
1. The process is simple
The first thing to know: the website is already accepting orders. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday that the website was in “beta testing” and operating in “limited capacity” ahead of its official launch on Wednesday. He added that the administration anticipated having to fix “one or two bugs.”
By visiting the site this morning—before Psaki confirmed that it was already accepting orders—you could request free trials. I even received an email confirming my order.
All I did was visit https://www.covidtests.gov/es, I wrote my name, email address and shipping address. I am scheduled to receive four rapid COVID-19 antigen home tests. You can choose to provide your email address to receive shipping updates. An order confirmation will also be sent to this email address.
The website will not process more than one order for the same address. If you attempt to do so, you will receive this notification: “COVID-19 home testing has already been ordered for this address. Our records show that COVID-19 testing has already been requested for this address. We cannot process duplicate orders for the same address.”
My order confirmation:
A screenshot of my COVID-19 home test order.
(Anumita Kaur)
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2. Think about a few weeks ahead
President Biden announced last month that his administration will push for 500 million tests at home, amid criticism over his response to the pandemic and the scant availability of tests. Last week, he said the administration will double the figure to 1 billion tests. The administration has said that the first batch of those orders will start shipping later this month.
The federal government website limits each household to four tests, and you will have to wait to get them. Officials said the tests will normally be shipped via the United States Postal Service within 7 to 12 days.
Lindsey Dawson, associate director of the Kaiser Family Foundation, said people should think about whether they will need the tests in the coming weeks and months.
“If you go to school, if you interact with people outside your home, if you use public transport, there are a whole series of ways that people can be at risk of contracting COVID, so it makes sense to have some at home,” Dawson said in an interview.
3. Don’t take the test for fun
The Centers for Disease Control recommends testing at home if you have a fever, sore throat, runny nose, or loss of taste or smell.
The agency also recommends that people get tested at least five days after coming into contact with someone with COVID-19 and before meeting with a group of people, especially those who are at risk of severe illness.
4. Private insurance is also required to reimburse home tests
Four tests per household does not meet everyone’s needs.
If a household needs more tests, people can buy them and get reimbursed from their private insurers. Private insurers are required to reimburse the cost of up to eight tests per month.
5. Frequent testing is not a substitute for other COVID-19 precautions
Dawson said testing is not enough to prevent the spread of COVID-19. These home tests “should be used in conjunction with other risk reduction strategies” such as getting vaccinated and wearing masks in public or crowded settings, Dawson said.
Biden is expected to announce this week a plan to make high-quality masks available for free. Public health experts have repeatedly warned that cloth masks do not provide enough protection against the more contagious omicron variant, and recommend that people wear N95 or KN95 masks.
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