Americans now have the option to request additional complimentary COVID-19 tests through online ordering for delivery to their homes.

The United States government plans to provide four additional at-home virus tests before the expected increase in cases during the winter holiday period.

Starting Monday, those who were unable to order four COVID-19 tests in September can now obtain up to eight of them through COVIDtests.gov. The tests will be delivered free of charge by the U.S. Postal Service.

The administration is sending out COVID-19 tests as the flu season begins and there has been a rise in RSV cases in certain areas of the country. While hospitalizations for COVID-19 have increased this autumn and over 1 million people have died from the virus in the United States, they have remained stable in recent weeks. Previous vaccinations and infections have helped to keep the number of cases lower than in previous years.

The latest version of complimentary COVID-19 nasal swab tests is being released just in time for the upcoming winter season, marking the end of a regulation that mandated insurance coverage for these tests since the beginning of the pandemic. According to a study conducted by the non-profit health research organization KFF, the average cost for at-home tests is now $11 per test.

In September, the Food and Drug Administration approved new versions of COVID-19 vaccines in order to enhance protection for Americans during the upcoming winter season. These vaccines specifically target a variant of the virus called XBB.1.5, which is a descendant of the omicron strain. These updated vaccines have replaced previous versions that only targeted the original coronavirus strain and an earlier version of omicron. Although it is recommended for individuals 6 months and older to receive the vaccine, there has been a low uptake rate so far.

In the three years since the pandemic began, American taxpayers have invested billions of dollars towards the development of COVID-19 tests, vaccines, and treatments.