As town health officer for Greensboro and Lamoille Valley Medical Reserve Corps. (MRC) volunteer coordinator I received these messages and want to pass them on to our communities. Most of us see COVID-19 as just another flu but it can have many long term health effects. Please remember COVID-19, while not the scary thing it was, is still a serious illness. Keeping up with vaccines and getting early treatment is important for long-term health.
The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the U.S. Postal Service, has reopened covidtests.gov, so that households across the country can order four additional over-the-counter free COVID-19 tests. These tests are intended for use throughout the 2024 holiday season to detect currently circulating COVID-19 variants. Clear instructions are included on how to verify extended expiration dates.
These efforts complement ASPR’s ongoing distribution of free COVID-19 tests to long-term care facilities, low-income senior housing, uninsured individuals and underserved communities. Through this community organization distribution program and the home-ordering program, ASPR has provided a combined total of more than 1.9 billion COVID-19 over-the-counter tests.
As the fall and holiday seasons will create increased close proximity gatherings of people, the administration remains committed to helping Americans access tests to help, so that, if they develop a respiratory illness, they can learn whether it is due to COVID-19 and then make the best choices about seeking medical care and reducing risks to family, friends and co-workers. To order four free, over-the-counter COVID-19 tests, visit covidtests.gov.
Karl Stein
Greensboro Town Health Officer
Lamoille Valley MRC Volunteer Coordinator
