Free COVID-19 Tests: Washington Reopens Online Ordering Portal

OLYMPIA, WA — The Washington State Department of Health has re-opened its online COVID-19 test ordering portal for a third time— meaning residents once again have an opportunity to order rapid antigen COVID-19 tests delivered straight to their homes, free of charge.

Washingtonians can order up to five free at-home test kits by visiting www.sayyescovidhometest.org. The portal only remains open as long as supplies last, so if you're in need it's better to act sooner, rather than later. The first time the portal opened, on Jan. 21, visitors claimed all 1.4 million tests on offer within 8 hours. The current round of tests has about 1.45 million tests available, enough to send tests to around 290,000 homes across Washington.

The tests are delivered via Amazon, and should arrive within a few days of the order being placed, the Department of Health said.

In addition to the tests offered by the state, residents can also order kits from the federal program, seek them out at retailers and pharmacies or book an appointment at testing locations across the state. Those who test positive using a rapid test have the option to report their result to the state's COVID-19 hotline by calling 1-800-525-0127, and residents who use the WA Notify app can also record their results there.

"Increasing access to rapid tests is an important part of slowing the spread of COVID-19, because when more people use home tests, they're able to limit their contact with others when they test positive," said Lacy Fehrenbach, the state's Deputy Secretary for COVID Response. "Knowing your status is key — if you test positive, you should stay home from school or work."

Residents find more information and order the free test kits using a simple form on the "Say Yes! COVID Test" website. A Spanish-language version of the website is also available.

Patch editor Lucas Combos contributed to this report.