By Ahmed Aboulenein
In an effort to combat the spread of COVID-19 during the upcoming holiday season, the U.S. government is set to launch another round of free tests for delivery across the country, according to a spokesperson from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Households that previously ordered four free tests through COVIDTests.gov in September will be eligible to order four additional tests. Those who missed out on the previous round can submit two orders, totaling eight free tests.
With Thanksgiving on Nov. 23 and the subsequent holiday celebrations, public transportation and indoor gatherings could be potential hotspots for virus transmission, prompting the government to make tests readily available.
As of November 11, weekly COVID-19 hospital admissions exceeded 16,000, as reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This figure is higher than the previous week’s almost 15,000, but lower than the nearly 24,000 admissions at the same time last year.
The popular free test program, initially suspended by President Joe Biden’s administration due to lack of funding, resumed in December 2022 as cases were on the rise. The latest round of orders was opened on September 25 this year. The tests are funded using COVID-19 supplemental funding from the American Rescue Plan, according to the HHS spokesperson.
To date, the Biden administration has distributed over 1.6 billion free tests, including those delivered to homes and weekly distributions to various institutions. Furthermore, HHS and the Department of Education are planning to expand a program that brings tests to schools nationwide in the coming weeks.
(Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
