Take residence COVID-19 self testing kits supplied by the District of Columbia authorities, which offers metropolis residents 4 free take residence exams per day, are seen on this illustration taken January 11, 2022.
Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters
People on Tuesday began inserting orders without cost Covid exams promised by the Biden administration after the federal authorities rolled out the web site a day sooner than anticipated — with some complaining on social media that they had been blocked from ordering their very own provides.
White Home press secretary Jen Psaki stated the web site, covidtests.gov, is in its testing section and can formally launch Wednesday morning. Orders positioned through the web site’s testing section Tuesday are legitimate and can be shipped, White Home spokesman Kevin Munoz informed CNBC.
Each family is restricted to 4 exams primarily based on residential tackle. The White Home stated final week it capped the variety of exams folks can order to make sure broad entry to this system.
Assessments will be ordered right here: https://www.covidtests.gov/
After clicking on “order free at-home tests,” the web site redirects clients to a Postal Service order kind, the place you submit your title and tackle earlier than trying out.
The Postal Service will ship the exams 7 to 12 days after orders are positioned, in accordance the Biden administration. The web site on Tuesday stated orders would begin transport on the finish of the month.
Whereas some clients stated the web site was easy and straightforward to make use of, others – notably individuals who reside in condominium buildings – reported issues in social media posts on Tuesday.
“Each web site launch in our view comes with threat,” Psaki informed reporters throughout a White Home briefing Tuesday. “We won’t assure there will not be a bug or two. However the very best tech groups throughout the administration and the Postal Service are working laborious to make this a hit,” she stated.
The White Home launched the web site after a public outcry over widespread testing shortages through the busy vacation journey season because the extremely contagious omicron Covid variant swept the nation. Pharmacies giant and small struggled to maintain at-home exams in inventory as demand all of a sudden surged.
President Joe Biden stated the administration is procuring a complete of 1 billion at-home exams to distribute to People without cost. The Protection Division is awarding contracts for the exams in coordination with the Well being and Human Providers Division.
