The federal authorities is about to droop its provide of free at-home COVID-19 assessments by Friday, Sept. 2, with out congressional authorization for an extension.
The U.S. Postal Service’s web page for ordering the assessments states that orders will pause by next Friday “or sooner if supplies run out.”
“Ordering through this program will be suspended on Friday, September 2 because Congress hasn’t provided additional funding to replenish the nation’s stockpile of tests,” a message on the federal government’s COVID-19 website reads.
The Biden administration originally announced that it would offer 1 billion free at-home COVID-19 tests in January. The federal government used COVID-19 funding from the American Rescue Plan, President Biden’s $1.9 trillion economic stimulus and COVID-19 recovery package that he signed into law last year.
Biden has since provided extra rounds of assessments for Individuals to order, most not too long ago in Might. Households might order an additional eight tests in the most recent round.
The seven-day rolling average of COVID-19 cases has declined slightly in recent weeks following an increase fueled by the highly contagious BA.5 omicron subvariant. But a senior administration official told USA Today that the federal government wants to carry on to assessments for a attainable rise within the fall.
The official stated that the administration will use its current “restricted” assets to acquire as many assessments as it will probably, however distribution might resume on a big scale if Congress gives the funding for it.
