On Monday, the Biden administration announced that it is offering another round of free at-home Covid tests to U.S. households in preparation for the holiday season, a time when indoor gatherings often lead to increased virus transmission.
Starting Monday, Americans can request four free tests per household through COVIDtests.gov. Those who have not yet ordered tests this fall are eligible to place two orders, totaling eight tests, according to the website.
In September, the administration reinstated the federal program allowing people to request an initial round of four free tests, which had been temporarily suspended due to a political dispute over Covid funding.
At-home tests remain a crucial tool for combating the virus, particularly as lab PCR tests — the traditional method for detecting Covid — have become more expensive and less accessible following the end of the public health emergency in May.
However, demand for Covid tests, vaccines, and treatments has decreased significantly over the past year as cases and public concern about the virus have diminished from earlier in the pandemic.
According to a poll released Friday by the health policy research organization KFF, only about 3 in 10 Americans are concerned about Covid affecting their holiday plans this fall and winter.
The poll indicated that fewer than half of Americans are worried about the possibility of another Covid surge during the winter, which has occurred in previous pandemic years.
Despite this, early indicators suggest a potential winter Covid wave. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that more than 16,200 Americans were hospitalized in the week ending November 11, representing an 8.6% increase from the previous week.
