King County COVID Testing: County Buys 300K At-Home Tests

KING COUNTY, WA — King County residents struggling to find COVID-19 tests may be in luck, as county officials have purchased 300,000 at-home testing kits to be distributed to the community.

The first 100,000 kits are scheduled to arrive during the week of Jan. 10, and King County Executive Dow Constantine's office said the other shipments will follow "soon after." The test kits will be bundled with masks.

Distribution will prioritize the communities that are in the most need, officials said, and the county's public health department will give them to congregate locations like community health centers, libraries and senior centers.

"We know the demand for tests has increased in recent weeks and supplies are constrained, and more help is on the way from the federal and state governments. But we can't wait," Constantine said in a statement. "These kits will help us add capacity to our existing testing network, and help communities hardest hit by the pandemic."

County officials are working to procure additional test kits, and said they would consider adjusting distribution priorities as the federal government disburses more kits.

"Having test results in minutes, not hours, is an important part of keeping people safe and healthy during this surge of cases," Constantine said. "These kits will help residents make swifter and more informed decisions on how to prevent further infections, and know whether to stay home."

More information on distribution plans and how the public can access the kits will be available closer to when the initial shipment arrives, officials said.