Some Americans blocked ordering Biden’s free Covid tests during the initial launch of the site
Take home a COVID-19 self-test kit provided by the District of Columbia government, which provides city residents with four free home tests per day, shown in this illustration taken on January 11, 2022.
Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters
Americans on Tuesday began placing orders for the free Covid tests promised by the Biden administration after the federal government rolled out the site a day earlier than expected – with some complaining. on social media that they are blocked from ordering their own supplies.
The website covidtests.gov is in beta and will officially launch on Wednesday morning, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. White House spokesman Kevin Munoz told CNBC.
Each household is limited to four tests based on residential address. Last week, the White House said it was limiting the number of tests people can request to ensure broad access to the program.
Tests can be ordered here: https://www.covidtests.gov/
After clicking “order free home test” The website redirects customers to a Postal Service order form, where you submit your name and address before paying.
The Postal Service will send the tests 7 to 12 days after the order is placed, according to the Biden administration. The website on Tuesday said orders would begin shipping by the end of the month.
While some customers said the site was simple and easy to use, others – especially those living in apartment buildings – reported problems in social media posts on Sunday. Tuesday.
“Every launch of the website in our view is risky,” Psaki told reporters during a White House briefing on Tuesday. “We can’t guarantee there won’t be one or two errors. But the best tech teams in the administration and the Post Office are working hard to make this a success,” she said.
The White House launched the website after public outcry over widespread shortages of testing during the busy holiday travel season when the highly contagious omicron Covid variant swept through the country. Pharmacies large and small struggled to keep stock as demand spiked.
President Joe Biden said the administration is procuring a total of 1 billion home tests to distribute to Americans free of charge. The Department of Defense is awarding contracts for the trials in coordination with the Departments of Health and Human Services.
