The City and Borough of Juneau began distributing the CareStart COVID-19 Antigen Home Test to the general public last week. All 26,000 test kits that CBJ received have a printed expiration date on the box of March 2022. In fact, the CareStart test kits that CBJ received all expire on June 30, 2022. This is based on approval from the Food and Drug Administration to extend the test’s shelf life expiration date from 6 to 9 months.

The CareStart COVID-19 Antigen Home Test is made by Access Bio. The FDA’s approval to extend the shelf life to 9 months when stored at 34–86°F is based on the results of Access Bio’s ongoing stability studies. Access Bio submitted real-time stability data on December 1, 2021, and the FDA granted nine months of shelf-life for the test as of January 20, 2022.

To reiterate: Despite the printed shelf life on the CareStart COVID-19 Antigen Home Test being March 2022, FDA says the test will actually last until June 30, 2022.

These rapid antigen tests can be self-administered at home or anywhere, are easy to use, and return results in 10-15 minutes. CBJ is distributing two free text kit boxes per family from the following locations:

• City Hall Cash Office
• All Juneau Public Libraries (Downtown, Mendenhall Valley, and Douglas)
• Juneau Public Health Center, 3412 Glacier Highway (across the street from Twin Lakes parking lot)
• Juneau Police Department, 6255 Alaway Avenue

Do not go into any of these facilities if you’re feeling sick, or if you’ve been identified as a close contact and should be quarantining. (If you’re feeling sick, schedule an appointment at CBJ’s drive-thru testing facility online or call 907-586-6000.)

Here’s an instructional video on how to use the CareStart COVID-19 Antigen Home Test, or see the printed instructions that are inside each box.

For more information, contact [email protected].

The City and Borough of Juneau received a shipment of 26,000 COVID-19 self-tests Wednesday evening and they’re ready for pick-up at several distribution spots around town. Thousands of tests will also go to local organizations. CBJ placed the order earlier this month when supply was getting low. These rapid antigen tests can be self-administered at home or anywhere, are easy to use, and return results in 10-15 minutes. Here’s the list of free self-test distribution sites:

• City Hall Cash Office
• All Juneau Public Libraries (Downtown, Mendenhall Valley, and Douglas)
• Juneau Public Health Center, 3412 Glacier Highway (across the street from Twin Lakes parking lot)
• Juneau Police Department, 6255 Alaway Avenue

At this time, the public can pick up two test kits per family; each kit contains two tests. The goal of the distribution is for families to have self-tests on reserve for when one might be needed. Do not go into any of these facilities to pick up self-tests if you’re feeling sick, or if you’ve been identified as a close contact and should be quarantining. (If you’re feeling sick, schedule an appointment at CBJ’s drive-thru testing facility online or call 907-586-6000.)

Testing is an important tool to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Public health experts and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend using a self-test:

• If you’re experiencing new symptoms of COVID-19, like fever, sore throat, runny nose, or loss of taste or smell; or
• At least 5 days after you come into close contact with someone who tested positive; or
• When you’re going to gather with a group of people, especially those who are at risk of severe disease or may not be up to date on their COVID-⁠19 vaccines.

Currently, CBJ is distributing the CareStart COVID-19 Antigen Home Test. Here’s an instructional video on how to use this particular test. The Juneau Public Health Center has more guidance for rapid antigen COVID-19 self-tests here that will be handed out with the tests, or go to CBJ’s webpage.

For more information, contact CBJ Emergency Operations Center Incident Commander and Deputy City Manager Robert Barr at 907-586-5240 or [email protected], or email [email protected].

Every household can order one set of 4 free at-home COVID-19 self-tests from the federal government at COVIDtests.gov. There are no shipping fees and you don’t need to enter a credit card number. The only information required to order the tests is a person’s name and their address. People can include their email addresses if they want updates on their order.

Here’s what you need to know about your order:

• Limit of one order per residential address
• One order includes 4 individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests
• Orders will ship free starting in late January

The federal government is also set launch a call line for individuals unable to access the COVIDtests.gov website to place orders.

Orders will usually ship in 7-12 days. The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services is in communications with the federal government regarding the issue of tests freezing during the shipping process. Self-tests generally need to be stored in temperatures above freezing.

Testing is an important tool to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Public health experts and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend using a self-test:

• If you begin having COVID-⁠19 symptoms like fever, sore throat, runny nose, or loss of taste or smell, or
• At least 5 days after you come into close contact with someone with COVID-⁠19, or
• When you’re going to gather with a group of people, especially those who are at risk of severe disease or may not be up to date on their COVID-⁠19 vaccines.