Free Covid Tests are Once Again Available through USPS

This past week (on September 25th, 2023), the Biden administration reopened its at-home COVID-19 testing program. People with residential addresses in the U.S. can now order four free Covid tests from the government, which USPS will deliver without any charge. USPS will begin shipping tests out starting October 2nd, and it is unclear how long this revival of the free testing program will last.

Order Free Covid Tests on the USPS Website

In the same way as before, households in the U.S. can order up to four free Covid tests through COVIDTests.gov. This link points people to a landing page on the USPS website, which users can visit directly here and place their orders. Note that the maximum number of tests is four per household and not four per individual.

Customers can also call 1-800-232-0233 or 1-888-720-7489 to order tests if they are unable to place orders on the USPS website.

Why the Biden Administration Reopened its Free Testing Program

The reopening of its free testing program as hospitalizations from COVID-19 passed 20,000 in September for the first time since March 2023, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Department of Health and Human Services also announced an investment of $600 million across 12 domestic manufacturers of COVID-19 tests. Per the CDC, 2.7% of all deaths in the U.S. were linked to COVID-19 for the week of Sept. 10-16, which marks a 12.5% increase from the week before.

The Biden administration first launched its at-home Covid testing program in January 2022 and said it has previously provided over 755 million at-home Covid tests through its partnership with USPS. The program allowed for four free tests per residential address, regardless of how many people lived in a single household. It expanded in March and in May of last year before it was suspended in September. It was revived in December and then shut down on May 31, after the U.S. public health emergency around COVID-19 expired. Since then, the program has been unavailable (until now).