Whitehouse: Rhode Islanders Can Now Sign Up for Delivery of Free At-Home COVID-19 Test Kits

Whitehouse: Rhode Islanders Can Now Sign Up for Delivery of Free At-Home COVID-19 Test Kits

Biden administration also starting to make free high-quality masks available to the public next week

Washington, D.C. - With pressure continuing to build on local hospitals, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse today invited Rhode Islanders to sign up for delivery of free at-home COVID-19 test kits at COVIDtests.gov. The new home testing initiative was officially launched by the Biden administration today.

"Ordering COVID-19 tests to your doorstep takes less than a minute thanks to a new initiative from the Biden administration," said Whitehouse. "I hope all Rhode Islanders will use this free program to get at-home tests on hand in case they're needed. We all have to work together as a community to lessen the heavy burden on hospitals right now, and testing has a big role to play in that."

Rhode Islanders can order four test kits per household for delivery through the United States Postal Service at no cost. The kits are expected to ship within 7-12 days after ordering.

The Biden administration also announced today that 400 million free high-quality masks from the nation's Strategic National Stockpile will start to be made available to the public at pharmacies and health clinics beginning next week. High-quality masks, like N-95 and KN-95 masks, have been proven to be far more effective than cloth or loose-fitting masks at stopping the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant of COVID-19. Whitehouse has urged the Biden administration to prioritize the purchase of masks manufactured in the U.S. with American-made materials as the Strategic National Stockpile is replenished.

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