COVID tests

WASHINGTON STATE — While federal funding for COVID-19 test programs has ended, the Washington State Department of Health’s Say Yes! program is continuing to offer free home test kits through the end of 2022, according to a press release from the DOH. Through the program, Washington residents can order up to ten at-home COVID-19 tests for free, delivered to their home or work.

Tests can be ordered online. The tests take 15 minutes to assess your COVID-19 status, offering “a way for individuals to check their COVID-19 status without needing to access the healthcare system,” according to the release.

If you test positive, you can report the results to the state COVID-19 hotline at 1-800-525-0127, as well as anonymously notify your peers using your phone.

“These precautions are especially important now because hospitals and emergency rooms are operating at a higher than usual capacity due to a surge in respiratory viruses,” said the DOH. “Consider taking a COVID-19 test prior to a gathering, especially if you are getting together with people who are older, immunocompromised, or at risk for severe disease.”