United States President Joe Biden has announced that American citizens can start getting their free coronavirus test kits as the kits begin to arrive at doorsteps across the nation and here's how to get yours if you're from New York, Illinois, or other states.
Furthermore, the United States Postal Service (USPS) released an update on Friday as the government continues to send the test kits to the American people. Postmaster General and CEO Louis DeJoy released a statement saying that the agency was proud to fulfill its mission of providing service to the nation.
Free COVID Test Kits
The USPS said that it aimed to deliver COVID test kits to the American public as part of the important public health initiative of the Biden administration. Residents from various states, including New York and Illinois, can apply for free COVID test kits from the COVIDtests.gov website.
Some people have already shared on social media platforms on Tuesday that they have received their tests in the mail. On the other hand, others received emailed delivery updates that notified them that their orders were expected to arrive later this week, NBC Chicago reported.
The Biden administration announced on Jan. 14 that American citizens will be able to order the free coronavirus test kits starting on Jan. 19. The announcement noted that each household can order a total of four kits using the website. Additionally, the federal government has set up a phone number so people who have no access to the internet can still order the kits.
The White House previously said tests will usually be shipped within seven to 12 days after a person has ordered them. This means that many Americans will not receive them at least until the end of January.
Americans who are ordering the free COVID test kits will be required to input their name and mailing address on the COVIDtests.gov website. They will also be prompted to share an email address that they will receive updates on regarding their order, officials said, NPR reported.
Distribution to the Public
Biden's announcement on Twitter comes after the Democrat signed contracts with a COVID-19 test manufacturer as part of his efforts to distribute half a billion free rapid tests throughout the country. The Department of Defense paid $51 million for a contract to Goldbelt Security, LLC, for the delivery of over-the-counter COVID-19 test kits.
Under the contract, the federal government would purchase existing test kits that the company has in stock. Furthermore, the Biden administration plans to sign other contracts for the manufacture of more test kits to distribute to the American people.
The U.S. Department of Defense in coordination with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced earlier this month that the Biden administration made a deal with Revival Health to have 13.3 million over-the-country COVID-19 test kits.
The agencies said in a news release that the Department of Defense's Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) was leading the efforts. The plan was made in coordination with the Defense Assisted Acquisition Cell (DA2), Army Contracting Command, and the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), CNN reported.
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