More free rapid antigen tests are coming to Arkansas.
The Arkansas Department of Health, partnered with the Rockefeller Foundation and five other states, announced the launch of Project Access Covid Tests Jan. 28, which allows a kit of five at-home, rapid antigen tests to be delivered to each residential address.
In addition, the ADH also shipped tests to local health departments earlier this month which are available for curbside pickup. The tests are authorized by the Food and Drug Administration.
Project ACT tests can be ordered from AccessCovidTests.org.
According to the website, Amazon will fulfill the shipments of the iHealth rapid tests and they will arrive within one to two weeks after ordering.
When ordering, people can also subscribe to text updates about the tests’ expected arrival.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched the website COVIDtests.gov Jan. 18, a day earlier than planned.
It allows a maximum of four FDA-authorized tests to be shipped to each household, though users can’t choose the brand they receive.
The orders “start shipping in late January” according to the USPS website, and the White House website said, “tests will typically ship within 7-12 days of ordering.”
The White House announced that the Biden administration purchased one billion tests in mid-January and that the U.S. Postal Service will distribute up to half a billion.
However, USPS will not ship duplicate orders, so each household gets four tests delivered, regardless of its size. The new Program ACT makes Arkansas households eligible for five additional antigen tests.
“Access to testing has been a crucial part of COVID-19 response, especially during the omicron surge,” said Arkansas Department of Health Director Dr. Jose Romero on the ADH Twitter account.
According to the ADH website, the state of Arkansas purchased 1.5 million iHealth rapid antigen tests to distribute across the state.
At the Faulkner County Health Department, individuals can pick up two tests per day, and families can pick up six tests per day. The Health Department is located at 811 N Creek Drive.
UCA provided guidance for at-home test results in a Jan. 18 email from the President’s Office.
“If you test positive for COVID-19 using an at-home test, isolate yourself from others for five days from the onset of symptoms.”
Following CDC guidance, the email also suggested the first full day after symptoms develop should be considered day one. For those without symptoms, the day the test was administered should be considered day one.
After the five-day isolation period, people should continue to wear a well-fitted mask around others for an additional five days.
The ADH recommends close contacts of someone who tested positive should test five days after exposure or a day after the onset of symptoms.
The email also directed students to send any specific questions to [email protected], like how long someone should isolate after testing positive or if they should quarantine after being exposed.