By Jamie Gumbrecht, CNN
(CNN) — The US government will restart a program to deliver COVID-19 at home to Americans, the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Wednesday.
“We will resume our program to offer Americans the opportunity to request testing,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra once said at a CVS pharmacy in Washington where he was vaccinated against COVID-19 and the flu.
American families can apply for 4 loose tests in Covidtests. gov on September 25.
The U. S. government The U. S. Food and Drug Administration has sent more than 755 million free COVID-19 tests to others who requested them through Covidtests. gov. The program was suspended in May, after the COVID-19 public health emergency ended, to maintain supply.
Becerra said HHS’s management of strategic preparedness and reaction “has replenished our stockpile. “
The tests that will soon be available are ready to use until the end of 2023 and will come with commands on how to check extended expiration dates, HHS said Wednesday. The expiration dates of many COVID-19 cases at home testing have extended far beyond what is posted on the packaging.
HHS and ASPR also announced $600 million for 12 U. S. COVID-19 check brands. The U. S. government is increasing its production capacity and acquiring approximately two hundred million over-the-counter COVID-19 checks for the federal government. The investment will move to brands in New Jersey, California and Texas. , Washington, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Delaware.
“The Biden-Harris administration, in partnership with domestic manufacturers, has made wonderful strides in addressing vulnerabilities in the U. S. origin chain by reducing our reliance on overseas manufacturing,” Becerra said in a statement. “These critical investments will increase the production grades of the immediate home COVID-19 testing in our country and assistance mitigate the spread of the virus. “
COVID-19 hospitalizations have increased in the U. S. since July, and weekly admissions are now more than 3 times higher than two months ago. In the U. S. , more than 20,500 people were admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 during the week. ending Sept. 9, according to data from the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the U. S. , about 8% more than last week.
CNN’s Deidre McPhillips contributed to this report.
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