The US government will stop accepting orders for free at-home Covid-19 tests on Friday, 8 March.
Each household can still place an order until Friday for rapid coronavirus tests via the US Postal Service (USPS), according to the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), a division of the US Department of Health and Human Services.
“ASPR has delivered over 1.8bn free Covid-19 tests to the American people through CovidTests.gov and direct distribution pathways and will continue distributing millions of tests per week to long-term care facilities, food banks, health centers and schools,” an ASPR spokesperson said in a statement to CBS.
Each order includes four individual rapid antigen Covid tests. If an order has not been placed for your address since the program reopened on 25 September 2023, you can place two orders for a total of eight tests until 8 March, according to the USPS.
The US government has been mailing free at-home tests on and off since January 2022 to curb the spread of Covid and make testing more accessible for the general public.
The decision to suspend the program comes amid slowing case rates, but could still be distributed in the future, according to ASPR.
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) changed longstanding guidance for people who test positive for Covid-19. They no longer need to stay in isolation for five days, and can resume regular activities if their symptoms are mild and improving, and they have been fever-free for a day.
According to the CDC, most of the US population has developed some degree of immunity against Covid from prior infections or vaccinations.
Additionally, starting Friday, antiviral treatment Paxlovid will no longer be authorized for emergency use. Pharmacies can dispense unexpired Paxlovid labeled for emergency use through Friday, after which it must be returned to the manufacturer or disposed of. The emergency use will continue to be authorized for high-risk pediatric patients (12 years of age and older).
