Free COVID tests: Why you can no longer order through government program via USPS delivery

A U.S. government program that let people order free COVID-19 test kits through the U.S Postal Service has now ended.

According to a notice posted on COVID.gov, an official website of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, ordering for free COVID-19 tests on the website was suspended after Friday, March 8, 2024.

All orders placed on or before March 8 will be delivered, the notice says.

A spokesperson for the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, or ASPR, confirmed to USA TODAY that the agency will stop accepting orders to ship COVID-19 tests to households through the USPS.

"ASPR has delivered over 1.8 billion free COVID-19 tests to the American people through COVIDTests.gov and direct distribution pathways and will continue distributing millions of tests per week to long-term care facilities, food banks, health centers, and schools," the spokesperson told USA TODAY.

The agency also told USA TODAY that slowing rates drove the decision to pause orders and that tests could still be distributed again in the future.

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CDC shortens COVID-19 isolation period

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week updated its COVID-19 guidance so people who test positive for the virus will no longer be directed to isolate at home for five days.

CDC officials announced a new policy focusing on actions people can take to reduce spreading a variety of common respiratory viruses, such as influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and COVID-19.

Those actions include staying at home when sick, staying up to date with vaccines, practicing good hygiene and improving indoor air quality.

The change marks the first time the agency has revised its coronavirus guidelines since 2021. It is intended for people and employers, not for hospitals or nursing homes that have separate guidance, the CDC said.

CDC officials called the change a streamlined approach that’s easier for people to understand and more in line with circulating respiratory viruses that spread the same way and have similar symptoms.

The announcement reflects progress made in reducing hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 over the last two years, CDC Director Mandy Cohen said in a Friday news conference. Still, she emphasized continued use of vaccines and treatments.

Contributing: Eduardo Cuevas, Adrianna Rodriguez and Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: COVID test kits: Free government program through USPS is now suspended