Although a federal website offering free home COVID-19 testing kits doesn’t officially launch until Wednesday, covidtests.gov It already operates with limited capacity on Tuesday, which has allowed some people to order tests.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the site is in its beta phase to allow for troubleshooting.
“We can’t guarantee there won’t be a mistake or two,” Psaki said, “but the best technology teams in the administration and the postal service are working hard to make this a success.”
Some users immediately identified at least one problem: Orders placed by different people who lived in the same apartment building but in different units were being declined twice, according to some tweets.
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Americans are supposed to order up to four kits per address. Once ordered, proofs should be mailed within 7-12 days.
The website is expected to be officially launched on Wednesday morning.
The Biden administration is buying a billion tests to distribute through the website and a phone line. Some tests are being reserved to prioritize homes in the most affected and highest risk communities.
The White House is stepping up efforts to make testing more accessible and affordable after facing criticism from both Republicans and Democrats for a lack of testing amid a recent uptick in coronavirus cases.
Translation Joa Jacobo Rivera
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