In an effort to avoid potential shortages during an increase in coronavirus cases, which have historically occurred during colder months, the Biden administration is funding the development of new at-home COVID-19 tests with $600 million and relaunching the website that previously allowed Americans to order up to four free tests per household.
Beginning on September 25, orders can be made at COVIDTests.gov, and the tests will be sent free of charge by the US Postal Service, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
According to the agency, funding has been given to twelve manufacturers that would create 200 million over-the-counter tests to refill federal stockpiles for use by the government as well as enough tests to satisfy demand for tests ordered online. These factories have hundreds of employees throughout seven states. Officials from the federal government stated that this will help prevent supply chain problems that have led to occasional shortages of at-home COVID tests produced abroad during previous spikes in coronavirus cases.
Through the holidays, the website will continue to accept orders, according to Dawn O’Connell, assistant secretary for preparation and response at HHS. However, she added, “We reserve the right to remain it open even longer if we begin to see an increase in cases.”
If there is a need for these tests, O’Connell added, “we want to make sure that they are made freely available to the American people in this way.” But right now, getting through the holidays and ensuring that people may take a test if they intend to see Grandma for Thanksgiving are our main priorities.
The tests are expected to be in use by the end of the year and are made to identify COVID variations that are currently circulating. However, according to the agency, they will also contain instructions on how to confirm extended expiration dates.
The program comes after four earlier rounds in which federal employees and the U.S. Postal Service distributed more than 755 million free tests to homes across the country.
The department noted that it is also intended to support ongoing federal initiatives to distribute free COVID tests to long-term care facilities, schools, low-income senior housing, uninsured people, and underserved communities, which are currently distributing 4 million tests per week and have distributed 500 million tests to date.
The 200 million tests that manufacturers will provide for federal use can be spaced out over 18 months, according to O’Connell. This means that producers can concentrate on filling orders if demand for home tests increases through the Internet or at American retailers as COVID cases rise across the nation, but they will also have a backup market for the tests they create when demand is low.
In each of the seasons that COVID has been a worry, “we’ve seen cases go up,” said O’Connell, as individuals go indoors into heated rooms and away from the outside.
There is always a possibility or potential for another variety to appear, but “we’re not expecting that,” she continued.
O’Connell remarked, “That’s not why we’re doing this. The upcoming fall and winter seasons and the possible increase in cases, as a result, are the reasons for our actions.
The Biden-Harris administration “has made great strides to tackle vulnerabilities in the U.S. supply chain, in partnership with domestic manufacturers,” according to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra.
In a statement, Becerra stated that “these crucial investments” would assist in slowing the spread of the virus and “strengthen our nation’s production levels of domestic at-home COVID-19 rapid tests.”