Free covid-19 tests in the US: the third round of orders opens

Biden signs the stimulus package 5:01

Washington (CNN) --

The Biden administration opens CovidTests.gov for a third round of orders, while reiterating its calls for Congress to act on additional Covid-19 response funding.

US households can now request "eight additional free home tests on COVIDTests.gov, bringing to 16 the total number of free tests available to each household since the start of the program," the White House reported Tuesday. in a fact sheet.

The tests were first made available on Monday.

The government first launched the website to allow free testing in January, and Americans were able to request their second round of testing in March.

During both rounds, people could request a maximum of four tests per household.

This third round doubles that.

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The administration has given out roughly 350 million free tests so far, according to the fact sheet, and this round of testing is funded by money made available in last year's stimulus package.

The White House has pushed for $22.5 billion in additional funding for testing, treatment and vaccines, warning Tuesday that no more testing could be done without additional spending.

"Because Congress has not provided additional funding for the nation's response to COVID-19, the Administration cannot continue to make the types of federal investments necessary to maintain national testing manufacturing capacity, and this may jeopardize the federal government's ability to provide free testing in the future," the fact sheet said.

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The White House has repeatedly warned of the negative effects of the federal response to Covid as part of its push for more funding, including what it says are threats to the production of new vaccines.

At one point earlier this month, the administration claimed that 100 million infections were possible in the fall and winter, though the White House has not released the underlying data supporting the projection, raising questions about whether political considerations helped shape the figure.

A young woman turns antigen tests into jewelry 0:48

Meanwhile, on Monday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance to support Covid-19 testing for all domestic travelers.

Previously, the recommendation to test before domestic travel applied to those who were not up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations.

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