Americans have started to receive free coronavirus tests from the U.S. government in the mail after it began accepting orders on Tuesday.
The Biden administration said it would send 500 million rapid tests to Americans this month via the U.S. Postal Service after the Omicron variant strained access to in-person and at-home tests. Each household is eligible for four free rapid tests and can order them at covidtests.gov.
Marcie Taylor, a marketing consultant in Santa Ana, Calif., said she received her tests on Friday after she ordered them on Tuesday at the recommendation of her friend who sent her a link to the website. She said the package, which included two boxes with two tests in each, arrived earlier than the tracking website had estimated.
Ms. Taylor said her husband and two children, a 16-year-old and a 20-year-old, would try to make the tests lasts as long as possible because it only amounted to one test per person.
“If you can order the kit, order it,” Ms. Taylor said in an interview. “It gives you peace of mind to have it since there is a shortage at drugstores.”
Ms. Taylor was one of several people that posted on social media after they received the tests at the end of the week.
“That bodes well for how things are going to go,” said Steve Hutkins, editor…
