The Biden administration is ending its free at-home COVID-19 test program this week due to a lack of congressional funding, according to an announcement on the COVID.gov website.
“Ordering through this program will be suspended on Friday, September 2 because Congress hasn’t provided additional funding to replenish the nation’s stockpile of tests,” the website reads.
The Federal government first launched the free test program in January, as part of an effort to make millions of rapid tests available due to the quick spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant.
By May, the White House said it had delivered 350 million free tests to over 70 million households across the country. However, the administration warned that a lack of funding from Congress would “jeopardize” the program and called on legislators to “step up and act.”
“Due to Congress’s failure to provide additional funding for the nation’s COVID-19 response, the administration cannot continue making the types of Federal investments needed to sustain domestic testing manufacturing capacity,” the White House said in May.
For those looking to order more at-home tests, the program is still accepting orders until September 2.
