The U.S. authorities is suspending mail orders totally free COVID-19 exams — at the least for now.
Friday March 8 is the final day residential households can request free virus exams shipped via the United States Postal Service. In line with the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, a division of the U.S. Well being and Human Providers Division, orders are set to shut at 11:59 p.m. PT.
“ASPR has delivered over 1.8 billion 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,” a spokesperson for ASPR mentioned in a ready assertion despatched to The Related Press.
Mail orders totally free COVID exams from the federal government have been paused or expanded earlier than. Regardless of Friday’s suspension, it’s nonetheless doable for this system to renew once more down the highway — with ASPR noting that it reserves the proper to make use of COVIDTest.gov sooner or later as wanted.
The Biden administration first launched its free mail-order COVID exams again in January 2022. This system was most just lately reopened in September of final 12 months — and households have been eligible to order to newest spherical of exams since November.
The choice to droop ordering for this system’s sixth spherical arrives amid reducing case charges popping out of the winter respiratory season, ASPR famous.
Final month, the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention introduced that the respiratory virus season was probably previous its peak following a December surge — however nonetheless urged warning.
