USPS Will Deliver 500 Million Covid Tests

The Postal Service is doing its part to make Covid-19 testing available to as many households as possible. As cases continue surging, USPS has entered into an agreement with the White House to deliver 500 million Covid tests throughout the nation.

USPS Delivering 500 Million Covid Tests When Rapid Tests are Hard to Find

As news sources have reported, this program comes when the United States is averaging roughly 700,000 cases per day. Wait times for testing at clinics are unreasonably long, and at-home testing kits are near impossible to find. Thus, enter the United States Postal Service, gearing up to deliver Covid test kits to households throughout the country.

When speaking on the agreement the agency struck with the White House to deliver 500 million tests, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said USPS was “proud to fulfill its mission of service” by delivering them. He provided the following quote:

“The 650,000 women and men of [USPS] are ready to deliver and proud to play a critical role in supporting the health needs of the American public. We have been working closely with the administration and are well prepared to accept and deliver test kits on the first day the program launches.”

Will USPS Deliver One to Me?

Whether or not USPS will deliver a test to your house hinges on the next steps the Biden administration takes. Currently, the administration is in process of building a website that will allow people to easily submit Covid-19 test requests. If approved, USPS will deliver a test to the home address provided.

When demand for these at-home tests rises, the Postal Service will need adequate manpower to carry out delivery. Thus, USPS is currently in talks to extend the contracts of seasonal employees hired to meet peak holiday demand. Last week, a source familiar with the program told the Washington Post that the White House awarded USPS its first contract to deliver Covid tests after test manufacturers and distributors who intend to provide tests to the initiative gave proposals to the government.