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The Biden administration has announced $600 million in funding to produce new at-home COVID-19 tests and is restarting a website allowing Americans to order up to four free tests per household.
Twelve manufacturers in seven states have been awarded funding and will produce 200 million over-the-counter tests to replenish federal stockpiles for government use.
The initiative follows four previous rounds where federal officials and the U.S. Postal Service provided more than 755 million tests for free to homes nationwide.
The Department of Health and Human Services says orders can be placed at COVIDTests.gov starting September 25, and that no-cost tests will be delivered for free by the United States Postal Service.
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said the investment will help mitigate the spread of the virus and strengthen the nation’s production levels of domestic at-home COVID-19 rapid tests.
Dawn O’Connell, assistant secretary for preparedness and response on COVID still existing and slowing the spread:
“Whether or not people are done with it, we know the virus is there, we know that it’s circulating. We know, if past is prologue, it’ll circulate to a higher degree and spread, and cases will go up in the fall and winter seasons,” O’Connell said. “Anticipating that that would be true again, or something similar, we want to make sure the American people have these tools.”
