Another round of free covid tests available in time for holiday travel

Just in time for the holidays, another round of four free at-home covid tests are available for mail order starting today, according to the US Department of Health.

“Beginning Nov. 20, every U.S. household can again place an order to receive four more free covid-19 rapid tests delivered directly to their home,” a statement on the federal website noted Monday.

The orders will ship starting the week of Nov. 27, the website notes.

The new round of free tests appears to be connected to the upcoming holiday season, as a social media tookit from the Department of Health and Human Services specifically names winter holiday travel and gatherings as a reason to take advantage of the tests’ availability.

Covid cases are slightly on the rise in Allegheny County, according to the county website, with 379 cases the week ending Nov. 11 as compared to 302 the previous week.

The mail-in test program began sending free covid tests to households across the country in January 2022, and ended in May of this year with the closing of the public health emergency. It restarted Sept. 25.

Homes who ordered covid tests in September can order another round now. If a household did not order tests in September, it may place two orders for a total of 8 tests.

The tests available for order are rapid antigen at-home tests, and give results within 30 minutes. They will be delivered via mail and can be used for testing whether a person has covid symptoms or not.

Additional free covid tests for people who are uninsured are also available through the Increasing Community Access to Testing (ICATT) program.

A link provided on the Health and Human Services site site notes that some at-home covid tests have had their printed expiration dates extended, and encourages people to check for their brand and lot number for clarification.