ALBANY — The state Department of Health is encouraging New Yorkers to take advantage of the free COVID-19 tests available once again to all households in the United States through the U.S. Postal Service. Each household is eligible to receive four at-home test kits as announced last week by the federal government.
“I encourage every household to take advantage of this federal program and order your free COVID-19 tests today,” state Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said in a statement on Friday. “It couldn’t be easier; I ordered mine and the entire process took less than 30 seconds to complete. As we head into respiratory illness season, arm yourself with the available tools — vaccines, testing and treatment.”
Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms should test immediately. If exposed to COVID-19 but symptoms have not presented, wait at least five full days after exposure before taking a test.
The tests available from COVIDTests.gov are self-tests called antigen tests and provide rapid results in 15-30 minutes.
Positive results are very accurate and reliable. These tests will detect current COVID-19 variants and can be used through the end of the year.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends checking the expiration date of tests. Expired tests may no longer be effective and could fail to detect the virus. However, some tests have extended expiration dates. Find out if your test has an extended expiration date.
The DOH is also reminding all eligible New Yorkers — especially those who are 65 and older, are at risk for severe COVID-19, or have never received a COVID-19 vaccine — to get the 2024-2025 vaccine ahead of the respiratory illness season. McDonald’s standing order allows New Yorkers aged 3 years and up to receive the vaccine at any pharmacy in New York State without a prescription from their individual health care provider. Recommended dosages and the schedule vary depending on age, immune status and COVID-19 vaccine history.
As infants under the age of 6 months are not eligible for COVID-19 vaccination, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends pregnant people receive the recommended COVID-19 vaccines to protect themselves and their young infants.
Learn more about COVID-19 testing at https://tinyurl.com/rtwx563d.
Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines at https://tinyurl.com/ck6aa4wr.