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For immediate release: March 9, 2023 (23-029)
Contact: DOH Communications
DOH’s successful Say Yes! COVID Test program to finish May 11
More than 15 million free at-home tests distributed since Jan. 2022
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is announcing its free at-home testing program Say Yes! COVID Test (SYCT) is ending May 11. Since its launch in Jan. 2022, the program has:
- Processed more than 3 million individual orders for at-home test kits.
- Distributed more than 15 million individual tests.
- Served nearly 1 million households throughout Washington state.
Washingtonians may continue ordering free COVID-19 home test kits from the Say Yes! COVID Test website. As the COVID-19 pandemic moves into a state of recovery, however, starting March 13 eligibility will change to focus on Washington communities that are most in need. Criteria will be based on public health measures that help identify communities with more disadvantaged households. Please visit the SYCT website to see if you are eligible to place a single monthly order for five test kits, which are delivered to the requester’s home or work address free of charge.
Federally supplied free at-home tests remain available to order for all while supplies last. Insurers are still required to cover the cost of eight at home tests per covered member per month until the end of the federal public health emergency on May 11.
“Thanks to the incredible partnership between the DOH Say Yes! COVID Test team and our partners, as well as close collaborations with the public health and healthcare systems, communities, and individual Washingtonians, our state has achieved one of the lowest COVID-19 death rates in the country,” said Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett, MD, MPH. “DOH will continue to support Washingtonians to keep their communities healthy and protect the elderly and those with chronic conditions who are most vulnerable to the severe impacts of COVID-19.”
DOH launched SYCT Jan. 2022 in partnership with the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Care Evolution, Amazon, and a variety of community partners to provide Washingtonians with another way to quickly access free testing for COVID-19.
DOH will continue to collaborate with local health jurisdictions, tribes, and community partners to support equitable access to testing supplies and services through existing services. Please visit the DOH COVID-19 landing page for more information and resources, including testing and free telehealth treatment options.
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