Even if you don’t have any symptoms of Covid-19 right now, it can be a good idea to have at home Covid tests on hand so you can quickly take a test if there is any question in your mind about whether or not you have Covid.

It can be a good idea to take a Covid test before attending a large gathering, hosting a party or traveling. Even if you are fully vaccinated and boosted, it can’t hurt to take a Covid test just for peace of mind to make sure you’re not unknowingly spreading Covid to others.

The U.S. government wants to make it as easy as possible for everyone to be able to take a Covid test for free. That’s why in January they launched a new program where they partnered with the United States Postal Service to ship free test kits to anyone who applied for the free tests. Then in February, they followed this up with another round of free test kits.

In both January and February, USPS would send 4 tests kits to each address. That means that if you and your roommate both applied for free test kits, you would still only get 1 batch of 4 test kits sent to your home to share. That’s not a lot of tests if you have multiple people living at your address.

Now, the U.S. government has launched a third round of free test kits that will be sent for free through the USPS, but this time things are a little bit different. Instead of being sent 4 test kits, you will be sent 8 test kits. In addition, if you didn’t apply for free test kits during the first or second round, you will be able to apply again to get 12 test kits if you missed just one of the previous free test kit offers, or a total of 16 free test kits if you haven’t previously applied for any free test kits this year.

In order to get your free Covid-19 test kits, all you need to do is go to Covid.gov/tests. Click on the blue “Order free at-home tests” button on the screen, and you will be redirected to the USPS website where you can place your order. Fill out your contact information and shipping information, and that’s it. You won’t need to pay anything for the tests or for shipping.

The free test kits are rapid antigen tests. They are not PCR tests, but they are FDA- authorized. These test kits are convenient because you see results quickly (within 30 minutes), and you can easily take them at home.

Are you going to order your free Covid-19 test kits?