Order free COVID-19 self-tests from federal government on COVIDtests.gov

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.