Free COVID-19 Tests Provided By Federal Government Available Now, Some Issues Reported
By: Patrick Damp/KDKA-TV
WASHINGTON (KDKA) - Free, at-home, rapid COVID-19 testing can be ordered online.
The White House has launched its website - COVIDtest.gov.
Wednesday was slated to be the official launch but White House leaders say it began working in a limited capacity on Tuesday.
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However, KDKA is aware of at least two local cases where people reported getting a message saying that tests have already been ordered.
The message reads, "Our records show that at-home COVID-19 tests have already been ordered for this address. We are unable to process duplicate orders for the same address."
In a statement provided to KDKA from the USPS, they said it has been very limited.
"The Postal Service is seeing very limited cases of addresses that are not registered as multi-unit buildings which could lead to COVID test kit ordering difficulties," the statement read. "This is occurring in a small percentage of orders. For assistance in the ordering process, the USPS recommends filing a service request at this link or contacting our help desk at 1-800-ASK-USPS, to help address the issue."
Supplies will be limited to four tests per household and they will ship within 7-12 days after order.
The first shipments are expected to go out at the end of January.
For those who may need more tests, the website says those with private health insurance will be reimbursed for the full cost of tests, up to eight per month.
If you've had any issues, we want to hear from you. You can email the station at NewsDesk@kdka.com.