Individuals can as soon as once more order free at-home COVID-19 exams from the federal authorities beginning Thursday forward of the upcoming respiratory virus season.

That is the third 12 months in a row the Biden-Harris administration has allowed Individuals to order over-the-counter exams at no cost.

Anybody desirous to order exams can achieve this at COVID.gov/exams. 4 exams shall be shipped free by USPS, beginning Sep. 30.

The U.S. Division of Well being and Human Providers (HHS) first made the announcement final month that the free COVID exams program was restarting.

“As households begin to transfer indoors this fall and start spending time with their family members, each very previous and really younger, they’ll as soon as once more have the chance to order as much as 4 new COVID-19 exams freed from cost and have them despatched on to their houses,” Daybreak O’Connell, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at HHS, stated throughout a media briefing on the time. “These exams will assist preserve households and their family members protected this fall and winter season.”

She added that the exams will be capable to detect an infection from at the moment circulating variants.

At the moment, KP.3.1.1, an offshoot of the omicron variant, is the dominant variant within the U.S., accounting for an estimated 52.7% of circumstances, in accordance with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC).

Throughout the identical media briefing, CDC director Dr. Mandy Cohen stated immunity from vaccination and former COVID an infection have helped restrict the burden of COVID on the well being care system.

“I do wish to acknowledge that we proceed to see lots of COVID-19 exercise throughout the nation proper now in exams getting back from labs,” Cohen stated, including, “Circulating COVID illness isn’t translating into related will increase in emergency room visits and hospitalizations or deaths.”