CT Department of Health urges residents to order free at-home COVID tests

The state Department of Public Health is encouraging residents to order free at-home COVID-19 test kits when the federal government makes them available again next week.

This comes after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Wednesday that households will be able to order up to four free tests through COVIDTests.gov starting on Monday, Sept. 25.

The state Department of Public Health said the tests are intended to be used through the end of the year and will detect the variants that are currently circulating.

They are also urging residents to use the COVIDTests.gov site to see if the expiration dates of any test kits you already have at home have been extended.

“These at-home tests are an important component of the COVID-19 toolbox that we have at our disposal,” Connecticut Department of Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD, said in a statement.

She is also urging people to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

“In addition to these at-home tests, all people 6 months and older are eligible to receive the updated COVID-19 vaccine,” she added.

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The Department of Public Health is urging residents to contact their healthcare provider to receive the updated COVID-19 and flu shots at the same time or make an appointment at a retail pharmacy and visit www.vaccines.gov to find a location for COVID-19 and flu vaccines.

For adults 18 to 64 who do not have insurance and those adults whose insurance does not cover COVID-19 vaccines, the CDC’s Bridge Access Program will provide free COVID-19 vaccines for a limited time, according to the state Department of Public Health. Information is available online at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/bridge.

The state’s commissioner of public health is urging anyone who is sick with a fever or respiratory symptoms to stay home and for people to consider wearing a high-quality mask when respiratory viruses are circulating at high levels in your community.