(NEXSTAR) – Looking for more at-home COVID testing? You can now apply for a third round of free testing from the federal government.
The program initially opened in Januaryallowing each household to request an order of four free COVID tests to be delivered through the US Postal Service in March, a Second round of four free COVID tests were made available.
Now, you can now request a third batch of free COVID tests.
“Every household in the US is eligible to apply for a third round of free at-home testing,” the program website, COVIDtests.govis read from Monday night.
Unlike previous rounds, each order will now include eight rapid COVID antigen tests, in two separate packs of four each, according to the order form on the USPS website. Like the previous rounds, these tests will be sent free of charge.
To order your tests, go to COVIDtests.gov and select “Request Free Home Trials”. You will be taken to a form where you can enter your name and residential address. (If you are having trouble getting the website to recognize your address, check here for common issues.)
Once you have completed the form, and provided you have provided your email address, you will receive two confirmation emails from USPS, one for each of your packages. Delivery updates will be sent to your email later.
USPS will also ask if this is the first or second order for your household. If so, you can place another order. For those who have not previously applied to the government for free tests, you can request an additional eight tests for a total of 16. If you did not submit an order in one of the previous rounds, you can request an additional four for a total of 12
The tests available are rapid antigen tests at home, not PCR tests. All tests that are shipped are FDA cleared, but you will not be able to select which brand you will receive. The tests give results within 30 minutes and can be used whether or not you have symptoms of COVID-19 or are vaccinated. You will also not be able to select how many test kits you will receive.
This new round of testing comes as the US death toll from COVID-19 hit 1 million on Monday, a figure once unimaginable that only hints at the throngs of grief-stricken loved ones and friends. and frustration.
The confirmed death toll is equivalent to a 9/11 attack every day for 336 days. It is roughly equal to how many Americans died in the Civil War and World War II combined. It’s as if Boston and Pittsburgh were wiped out.
The death toll within two and a half years of the outbreak is based on death certificate data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics. But the actual number of lives lost to COVID-19, either directly or indirectly, as a result of the disruption of the health care system in the world’s richest country, is believed to be much higher.
Associated Press and Alix Martichoux of Nexstar Media Wire contributed to this report.
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