The funding will produce new at-home tests and restart a website to allow Americans to order four free tests per household
The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it is providing $600m in funding to produce new, at-home Covid-19 tests and is restarting a website allowing Americans to again order up to four free tests per household – aiming to prevent possible shortages during a rise in coronavirus cases that has typically come during colder months.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says orders can be placed at covidtests.gov starting 25 September, and that no-cost tests will be delivered for free by the United States Postal Service (USPS).
Twelve manufacturers that employ hundreds of people in seven states from California to Maryland have been awarded funding and will produce 200m over-the-counter tests to replenish federal stockpiles for government use, in addition to producing enough tests to meet demand for tests ordered online, the department said.
What’s your definition of “enough”? Of course it’s not enough to allow everyone to be 100% confident they don’t have covid if they come down with the sniffles. But if you have known COVID exposure, it allows you to test at the recommended 5-day mark to see if you have it yourself. That probably would cover around 80% of needs.