Free COVID-19 tests to become available in the U.S.

The federal government is offering free COVID-19 tests that will be available at the end of September to help control a large numbers of COVID-19 cases in the United States.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is offering free COVID-19 tests, vaccines and treatments as the nation braces for the annual return of cold and flu season that runs through the fall and winter.

“The best plan going into this winter is for everyone to remain vigilant [and] to use the tools we have,” CDC director Dr. Mandy Cohen said.

Those tools are “vaccines, testing [and] treatment against the illnesses responsible for the majority of fall and winter deaths and hospitalizations,” Cohen said.

U.S. households can go online to order up to four free COVID-19 tests at COVIDTests.gov, which will be distributed starting at the end of September.

Free mail order tests ended effective March 8.

In addition to the free tests and vaccines, the CDC is offering free Paxlovid antiviral medication for people who lack health insurance or have Medicaid or Medicare health insurance.

The CDC also is helping fund local and state departments of health to provide uninsured and underinsured adults with COVID-19 vaccines.

Children in low-income families continue to qualify for free vaccines through the federal government’s Vaccines for Children program.

Cohen said children under age 5 accounted for the greatest number of COVID-related hospital and urgent-care visits during the summer.

CDC officials also expect about the same or possibly fewer people being hospitalized for respiratory diseases during the fall and winter as there were a year ago.