Roanoke residents can now order free at-home tests again from the Virginia Department of Health
Roanoke, Virginia – Last winter, Americans were able to order free at-home COVID-19 tests for the first time as a part of the White House administration’s efforts to limit the spread of the virus during the holiday season. The program was running for months until three months ago, when the White House administration had to shut down the program because Congress did not pass additional funding to replenish the U.S. stockpile.
Hospitals across the country are now overwhelmed with COVID-19 and flu patients, and the situation is about to worsen by the end of the month. In an effort to slow down the spread of the virus during the Christmas family gatherings, the Biden administration started offering free at-home tests again earlier this week. Every household is eligible for four at-home tests, and deliveries are expected as soon as early next week.
The relaunch of the free at-home test program is part of the Biden administration’s preparedness plan for COVID this winter.
Roanoke residents can either order free at-home tests at CovidTests.gov or through the Virginia Department of Health by visiting this link.
In recent weeks, COVID-19 cases have surged both in Virginia and nationwide. According to the New York Times COVID-19 tracker, more than 65,000 cases were reported on Dec. 14 across the nation, while 451 people died as a result of the virus. The 14-day data shows 44% more cases and 71% more deaths.
The COVID-19 cases are also on the rise in Virginia. According to the Virginia Department of Health, a total of 12,054 cases have been reported in Virginia in the last 7 days, which is 1,722 cases per day on average. The past week’s average daily newly reported cases are 18.41% higher than the previous seven-day period.
Since the start of the pandemic, there have been a total of 2,173,547 cases of the coronavirus across the Commonwealth, and a total of 22,580 Virginians have died as a result of the virus.
For more COVID-19 data, information, and vaccine details, please visit the Virginia Department of Health website.
