The Biden administration announced not long ago that they were going to send half a billion COVID tests to U.S. residents, free for the asking. You just had to log in to order them (or call, if you couldn’t log in). Tests would be shipped beginning in late January.
Although announced the website would be available on Wednesday, Jan. 19th, it actually went “live” on Tuesday the 18th (it was a “soft opening” on Tuesday – it opened at limited capacity. It was at full speed on Wednesday).
We had already reported why these tests, although the same type of at-home rapid antigen tests that travelers often use to prove they don’t have COVID, would not be usable for most international travel. But as the website went live, there was an even bigger problem – many people found they couldn’t order the tests.
The website itself is easy enough to understand. You go to https://www.covidtests.gov/, and click on the ORDER FREE AT-HOME TESTS button. That brings you to a special “PLACE YOUR ORDER FOR FREE AT-HOME COVID-19 TESTS” page of the USPS (the USPO is shipping the tests). You type in your first and last name, email and shipping address, and then click on CHECK OUT NOW. Easy peasy lemon squeezy, right? Well, one would think so.
The USPS page reminds people that:
Residential households in the U.S. can order one set of 4 free at-home tests from USPS.com. Here’s what you need to know about your order:
- Limit of one order per residential address
- One order includes 4 individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests
- Orders will ship free starting in late January
It’s that first one, “Limit of one order per residential address” that’s an issue.
It doesn’t take into account if you live with roommates, or if multiple families live in the same home. Say you live in an apartment with several friends for economic reasons, or an extended family with multiple generations are living in the same home for cultural reasons. One of the people who live in your home orders their 4 tests. The next person who lives there, who’s not related to the first person, or from a different core family (say, a cousin), tries to order their tests and gets this notification:
At-home COVID-19 tests have already been ordered for this address.
Our records show that at-home COVID-19 tests have already been ordered for this address. We are unable to process duplicate orders for the same address.
See FAQs for more details.
It doesn’t take into account people who live in multi-unit buildings, such as apartments, condos, or even 2-family homes. Even though Apartment/Suite/Other is an option on the form! They also get the “At-home COVID-19 tests have already been ordered for this address” notification.
I know I’m not the first to encounter this issue, but has anyone* living in an apartment building actually been able to order a COVID test through the new government site?
* Well, other than the first person in a building, I guess. pic.twitter.com/7VDyRTM9xW
— Ben Casselman (@bencasselman) January 18, 2022
People who live in apartments that are connected to commercial buildings are also having issues:
I won’t be able to receive at-home tests since my apartment is connected to a commercial building. Wonder how many others will have this issue. https://t.co/qundyrhifI pic.twitter.com/BKzOPadH23
— Jessica Christian (@jachristian) January 18, 2022
And if you want to use a P.O. box (other than a residential P.O. Box) instead of your home address (because of porch pirates, privacy concerns, etc.)? Forget that.
If you get one of these errors, the USPS does have a FAQ that includes troubleshooting. It’s not very user-friendly and still doesn’t understand that many people live in multiple-unit housing, or that people, not from the same family unit, may live at the same street address. However, the USPS recommends that those experiencing problems should file a service request at emailus.usps.com/s/the-postal-store-inquiry or call the help desk at 1-800-ASK-USPS.
The White House has confirmed these problems are occurring “in a small percentage of orders.”
The sad thing is, the people who may not have as much access to COVID testing due to time, financial or physical issues – i.e. those with lower incomes who are working multiple jobs, seniors, the disabled, etc. – are the ones who you usually find in these type of apartment dwellings. They’re the very people who would most benefit from these free tests, and they’re going to have the hardest time getting them!
Aha! Possible Fixes For Apartment Dwellers
If you’re one of those people who live in a multi-unit dwelling, the internet has figured out a couple of potential fixes.
You can now order your 4 free At-home COVID tests from USPS. Tests won't be shipped until later this month and only 1 request per address. If you are in an apartment give your number like this in the apt field "Apt 2b" not "2b" or it might not go through.https://t.co/EzBwqlSIGK
— Crystal Preston-Watson (@ScopicEngineer) January 18, 2022
Also:
Rapid COVID Tests are Available;https://t.co/r0Oqz1pmDv
There’s a bug on the @USPS site that if someone in your Apt Building has requested tests, you are blocked from requesting as well.
Here is a solution;
Place your Apt/Suite # on the Street Address Line not Apt/Suite Line. pic.twitter.com/K8U2W9YoG5— Netia McCray (@netiamccray) January 18, 2022
ANOTHER UPDATE:
It seems we were correct and it was a USPS Address Database Issue.
If you need to have your dwelling listed as a multi-unit, here is some information below; https://t.co/r9K8XFaaeK
— Netia McCray (@netiamccray) January 19, 2022
“Every website launch, in our view, comes with risk,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during a briefing on Tuesday. “We can’t guarantee there won’t be a bug or two. But the best tech teams across the administration and the Postal Service are working hard to make this a success.”
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9 comments
Yes – they need to correct the apartment issue but there’s only so much they can do with regard to different families living together at the same address. Had they not put this restriction in you’d be writing an article about how all of the kits were claimed by hoarders and how they should have limited it . . .
I don’t disagree in that there was no way to make it work perfectly – and people would figure out a way to work the system, regardless; for some, that’s their goal in life, I guess. But for those who live in those types of situation who perhaps hadn’t tried to get their testing kits yet, it was a heads up (as well as some possible fixes).
Worked fine for me. So much hand wringing. Stop complaining about free!
It worked fine for many. But not for all. For those who might not be as lucky as you and me, it was a heads up.
Did Biden pay for them personally? Why do you call them the Biden tests?
Because one goal of writing is to have a title that’s as short as possible. BIDEN has less letters in it than GOVERNMENT or WASHINGTON D.C. 🙂
It’s a reflection of the Biden administration. They have a plan to throw other people’s money at a problem they have no idea on how to fix and do it in the least effective way possible at the greatest cost. Just wait until you start seeing the viral social media post of folks that have managed to get like 1,000 tests sent to them, selling them on eBay or stealing them from mailboxes for fun.
I disagree. I think it’s a problem of the USPS not thinking things all the way through; higher ups don’t think about apartment buildings, roommates, etc. when they’re all living in 1-family homes. As for those who will get more tests than they should, a-holes are gonna be a-holes. Regardless of how tests would be distributed, those who tend to miss out probably would, and those who tend to take more than the should, probably would. Welcome to the (late 20th and) 21st century.
A separate concern has to do with delivery to mailboxes in freezing weather: As I understand it, the kits contain a liquid and should be kept at a temperature above freezing.