The White House announced on Thursday that it is opening another round of shipping free COVID-19 tests to those who request them. The tests will be shipped starting Dec. 19.
Americans can begin requesting the tests today at COVID.GOV.
The government previously released several tranches of tests, but the administration said funding ran out for those. Even though Congress has not authorized new funds for COVID tests, the administration said it could use limited existing funds to pay for the latest batch of COVID-19 tests.
Tests will also be available at 6,500 Department of Housing and Urban Development-assisted rental housing properties serving seniors, the White House said. Tests will also be provided to up to 500 food banks nationwide.
The White House said it is closely monitoring for possible surges in COVID-19 cases as the holidays approach. The administration said it is prepositioning supplies to respond to a potential surge.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data has indicated that COVID-19 deaths have leveled off, with the U.S. averaging between 2,000-3,000 deaths per week.
For most of late 2021 through early 2022, the U.S. was around 7,000-17,000 deaths a week, according to CDC data.