Stony Brook students are all eligible to receive COVID-19 tests under the Biden administration’s new testing efforts.
President Biden announced that starting Jan. 19, each home address in the U.S. is eligible to receive four free rapid COVID-19 test kits, as well as N95 and K95 masks at community centers. When the initiative first began, the pandemic was spiking in spots across the country because of the omicron variant. In New York, cases from late December to early January soared beyond 40,000 a day.
The Biden administration is using these tests “to help ensure Americans have tests on hand if a need arises,” a White House statement from Jan. 14 said. The administration has set up a website for all Americans to use to request these tests for their homes, apartments and college dormitories.
“College-aged populations are continuously placed in conditions where transmission is very easy and hopefully the administration can help educate college students on how to get free tests in order to reduce infections on college campuses,” Julia Brandenstein, a senior political science and psychology major, said.
Students living on or off campus can request four free test kits by visiting the U.S. government website and inputting their dorm address, using the exact dorm room to be eligible. Kits can be shipped within seven to 12 business days.
Some students, such as sophomore health science major Lauren Monarque, have raised questions about the lack of awareness about these tests from campus officials.
“That would have been very helpful to know,” Monarque said. “I know several students that have gone off campus when they needed a test rapidly, and if the school provided that, it would save students time by having a safe place to do it.”
Americans have already ordered COVID-19 tests using the website service.
There has been some concern that people living at the same address, such as dormitories on campus, could not receive their test kits following the “one per address” guidance. However, “The Postal Service is seeing very limited cases of addresses that are not registered as multi-unit buildings which could lead to COVID test kit ordering difficulties,” according to a public statement by the U.S. Postal Service.
The Biden administration clarified that every American household can receive these free tests, encouraging apartment residents and college students to take advantage of the opportunity being offered by the federal government.
“We advise students to use the existing campus resources, allowing the limited federal supply of tests to reach people most in need of them,” Marisa Bisiani, assistant vice president of Student Health, Wellness and Prevention Services said. “Please know we also offer free antigen testing at the student health services for those students who are symptomatic by calling 631-632-6740.”
Community centers and stores will also provide Americans with N95 and KN95 masks, which the CDC has been recommending as effective against the omicron variant of the coronavirus. Students can find these masks off-campus at pharmacies such as CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens, as well as stores Costco, Stop and Shop and Walmart.
A phone line has been launched as well to request kits if the website does not work correctly and can be reached at 1-800-232-0233.
