Now Americans can order Rapid test kits for their home testing needs, and that too free. The Federal website, as promised by the government, has been launched.
New Federal Website Launched For Free Coronavirus Tests
COVIDTests.gov was supposed to be launched on Wednesday, Jan 19. However, Americans could access at least the order for four free tests from home.
The White House secretary has said that the website is in its beta phase. The best technological teams have been roped in for the purpose. According to the administration, there may be bugs initially. It cannot be ruled out completely.
The website currently shows that it will start dispatch in late January only. The postal service will send only one set of four Coronavirus test kits to a valid residential address.
The website showed that it was running and would be officially launched on Wednesday, Jan 19. There will be access to tests for all residential addresses in the U.S. The users who tried to access the website quickly ran into problems.
Orders that were made from apartment complexes were rejected on the basis of duplicity. The tests should be mailed from anywhere between 7-12 days after placing the order.
Many Twitter users have reported, that there is another way to order. If the residents put their apartment numbers before the address, then the system should be taking the orders.
The cost for ordering the first set of Coronavirus at-home test kits is completely free. And one does not need to furnish any credit card details. It is different from the Insurance reimbursement program that started on Saturday. The new system is in line with the statement made by Biden last month to make 500 million test kits available to Americans.
The website has received a huge number of hits on the very first day of its beta launch. In the last week, Americans were keeping an eye on the site as well. There were well over 9 million views.
All those who will be trying to access the tests will be in for rude surprises, as getting a test kit now amidst the surge may be a daunting task. There is a huge shortfall of test kits, so people might need some luck to get them elsewhere, online or at the pharmacies. Many Americans are following Twitter and other social media channels to track when the test kits become available.
The consumers can also come across apps as well as other web portals that can give notifications when the test kits arrive or are in stock. In December last year, a fourteen-year-old boy launched his own site to source at-home test kits.
As of now, the best way to buy at-home Coronavirus testing kits was to wait for alerts after ordering the kits on the waiting list. There are various apps, like Hot Stock, that can help people buy test kits. The app is free for users, but a fee of $5.49 may be required to receive notifications of up to 10 products.
Child tech prodigy, Eli Coustan who has developed the website says, that he came up with the idea when he found that it was too difficult to source kits for his grandparents. He also added that the site updates every ten minutes. And that Americans can sign up for test notifications and alerts as well.
The site mainly tracks the inventory at Amazon, CVS, Costco, and Walgreens. Walmart also stocks such kits, but then one has to track availability online, as kits are in short supply. Currently, the surge in Omicron infections has led to this huge demand for at-home test kits.
