COVID-19: you can now order four free tests to have them delivered to your home by mail

Washington – The government of Joe Biden returned to offer free COVID-19 tests for all American households, as part of its contingency plans for a possible spike in coronavirus cases this winter.

After a three-month break, the government offers four rapid test models, available to all households in the country through covidtests.gov since Thursday, according to a prominent member of the government. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to comment on the program.

COVID-19 infections have risen sharply since the Thanksgiving holiday, and indoor gatherings and travel around Christmas and New Years are expected to cause further increases.

In Puerto Rico, the Department of Health reported 8 additional deaths from COVID-19. Meanwhile, 213 people are hospitalized for coronavirus, of which 28 are pediatric cases.

The government will reserve personnel and equipment in case they have to attend overwhelmed hospital residences, as happened in previous waves of the virus. No requests for help have been made so far, although crisis kits, respirators and personal protective equipment have been prepared, the official said.

The Biden administration also urged states and local governments to do more to encourage people to receive updated bivalent COVID-19 vaccines, which scientists say are more effective in protecting against severe illness and death from the variants that circulate now.

The government reiterated its prevention and treatment protocols for residences and long-stay centers, and urged managers and governments to promote vaccination of vulnerable populations.

The government is having trouble convincing most Americans to get their booster shots. Infections and deaths are down from their pandemic highs, and most people have resumed their previous activities.

Funding for the new diagnostic tests has been reallocated from other anti-virus programs, the official said, declining to say how much money would be dedicated to the project or from which programs the funds were obtained. The White House is trying to get authorization from Congress to obtain more energy financing against COVID-19.