Free federal COVID tests end Friday — how to get yours and latest data in Kansas City
The federal government will suspend its free COVID-19 test distribution program on Friday, March 8, according to the official virus response site COVID.gov.
“Ordering for free COVID-19 tests via this website will be suspended after Friday, March 8, 2024. All orders placed on or before March 8 will be delivered,” the site states.
Households that haven’t ordered at-home tests recently are eligible for up to two orders of four tests each. To order yours, go to special.usps.com/testkits and enter your mailing address. The tests and shipping costs are both free.
You may receive tests with expiration dates that have already passed — but the FDA has extended some of these dates. You can check whether your test expiration dates have changed on the FDA website.
How else can I get tested for COVID-19 in Kansas City?
Federally funded home tests may be ending, but there are still a few places in the Kansas City area where you can go to get tested.
Jackson County Public Health: The county health department offers free testing by appointment on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at its new location at 3651 NE Ralph Powell Road in Lee’s Summit. You can make an appointment online at JCPH.org.
Quest Diagnostics: This private medical testing clinic offers no-cost COVID-19 tests for uninsured individuals who are exhibiting symptoms or have been exposed to COVID-19. You can make an appointment online. If you have insurance, you can only get tested at Quest with a doctor’s referral. The cost of testing will depend on your insurance coverage.
Walgreens: This private pharmacy chain offers free COVID-19 testing to some uninsured patients and charges insured patients for rapid and at-home tests. You can make a testing appointment online.
How prevalent is COVID-19 in Missouri and Kansas right now?
Weekly hospital admissions for COVID-19 in Kansas City are relatively low compared to the spike in cases seen around the new year.
As of Feb. 24, Missouri reported 367 new weekly hospitalizations with the virus, while Kansas reported 125, slightly higher than in the previous two weeks. Nationwide, COVID-related hospitalizations and deaths are both declining.
Around 21.8% of adults in Missouri and 21.3% of those in Kansas have received the latest COVID-19 vaccine, according to federal vaccination data. Both states’ rates have plateaued in recent months and are slightly below the national rate of 22.2%.
Vaccination rates are stratified by age group among adults, with the youngest adults far less vaccinated than those in older age brackets. Among those aged 18-29, only 9.2% nationwide have received the latest vaccine. By comparison, 42.6% of adults over 75 years old are vaccinated.
Do you have more questions about COVID-19 in the Kansas City area? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
