Washington residents will be able to get free COVID-19 at-home tests until at least the end of the year, the Washington Department of Health announced.
Federal funding for the free tests ended in September after Congress voted not to authorize funding to “replenish the nation’s stockpile of tests,” but Washington will continue the program while supplies last.
“With upper respiratory season at a high peak, at-home tests offer a way for individuals to check their COVID status without needing to access the health care system,” the Department of Health stated in a news release.
Antigen test results take up to 15 minutes through the at-home tests. The tests are a way to see if someone is infected with COVID-19, at which point they are advised to isolate from other people. If conditions get serious, people are asked to get medical help.
“These precautions are especially important now because hospitals and emergency rooms are operating at a higher than usual capacity due to a surge in respiratory viruses,” the state Department of Health stated in the release. “Consider taking a COVID-19 test prior to a gathering, especially if you are getting together with people who are older, immunocompromised, or at risk for severe disease.”
Those who test positive can report their test result to Washington’s COVID-19 hotline at 1-800-525-0127.
The Department of Health started the free test program in January, in a partnership with the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Care Evolution, Amazon and other community partners. Since then, the Department of Health has received over 2.5 million orders and has distributed 12.5 million test kits in Washington.
By going to sayyescovidhometest.org, residents can order up to 10 free at-home test kits per month for free.
