North Carolina: Government Website Launches For Free COVID Tests

Today marks the day for getting your free COVID at-home tests. Thanks to the United States government, these free at-home COVID-19 test kits are the latest effort to curb the latest, record-breaking coronavirus surge.

For North Carolina residents and more, starting today (January 18th) you can visit https://www.covidtests.gov/ to order your free at-home test. In addition, you can also go directly to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) order form HERE.

To order, people only need to provide their name and a residential mailing address. Shipping is 100% free. People can provide their email addresses if they wish to receive order status updates. I did it today and it took me less than two minutes to order and submit. According to the website, the limit will remain four per residential address.

The White House says “tests will typically ship within 7-12 days of ordering” through the U.S. Postal Service. The Biden Administration says it will also launch a free "call line to help those unable to access the website to place orders" and will "work with national and local community-based organizations to support the nation's hardest-hit and highest-risk communities in requesting tests," according to a White House written statement.

According to the White House, it will cost about $4 billion to purchase and distribute the first 500 million tests. Those costs will be covered by the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill signed into law by Biden in March. In addition to the four free tests, administration officials say additional federal free testing sites will be up and running. You can find North Carolina testing sites here.

Not to have 2022 start off on the wrong foot or anything, but I went to the grocery store the other day and there was only one bottle of NyQuil left for purchase.

With the holiday gatherings over and the weather getting colder, a lot of us are getting sick. It's not what we want to hear, but the truth is some of us might get Covid-19. With that being said we should all know how to find Covid-19 testing in the Charlotte area. Here are five ways to find covid testing in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Local health departments, pharmacies, urgent care, and other locations also provide testing. One negative is that there may be a fee. All you need to do is enter your zip code here and then find an appointment.

North Carolina has a great program for Covid-19 tests at home. Residents 18 and older can request a no-cost at-home COVID-19 test collection kit for themselves online or through several community partner organizations. Parents or guardians of residents under 18 can request a no-cost at-home COVID-19 test collection kit for those aged 2-17. You can request a kit here.

At-home COVID-19 tests are an option for anyone who can’t make it to a testing site. Review a list of tests approved by the FDA here. These are for emergency use. Be sure to check with your local pharmacy for availability before you go. 

There are no-cost community testing events across the state of North Carolina. There are several happening over the next few weeks in Charlotte specifically. Click here and you can see where the local events are in North Carolina.

My doctor didn't give booster shots, but they did have Covid-19 testing by appointment. Give your primary doctor a call and see if they have any testing available.