At-Home Rapid COVID Tests Now Available To All Coloradans: Polis

DENVER, CO — As part of the state's push to revamp its coronavirus testing, Coloradans can now get rapid COVID-19 tests delivered to their homes for free.

Residents can request the test kits on the state's COVID-19 testing website (which can be found here), Gov. Jared Polis announced at a press conference on Tuesday.

Eight tests will arrive in 4 to 7 days, and Polis suggested that Coloradans use them to test themselves twice a week for four weeks.

"They’re free, they’re quick, they’re easy, you’ll have the results within 15 minutes," Polis said. "It’s an extra security layer to identify any infection earlier."

Colorado initially launched an at-home testing program for educators and students in February, and in March expanded it to include restaurant workers.

Read more: Colorado's At-Home Coronavirus Testing Program Expands

The state was one of several initially chosen to partner with Abbot BinaxNOW to further the use of the company's at-home tests, and is now expanding on that initial at-home testing program.

It purchased 2 million Abbott BinaxNOW rapid tests, CPR News reported. The governor didn’t specify the amount of money or source for the funds to buy the tests, CPR said.

"We want to get the tests out," Polis said. "If we go through these tests in three, four or five weeks, we will absolutely look into seeing how we might be able to continue the Binax at home program."

Testing is being revamped despite what state epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy described on Tuesday as a "plateau to slight decreasing trend" of COVID-19 cases in Colorado.

Currently, COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state are at around 900 – including 14 children – which Herlihy said is not yet threatening hospital capacity.

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