D.C. is now offering patients the option to have COVID-19 testing done at home. It’s meant for communities who can’t access other testing options as D.C. surpasses 650 lives lost to the novel coronavirus.
Residents can now order a LabCorps at-home COVID-19 test and administer it themselves, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a press conference.
The option is new for D.C. residents who have previously had two options for testing: to either go to their doctor or a free testing site in the city.
The turnaround time for the testing is three to five days using the at-home test, said D.C. Health Director Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt. “You can pay for the test and use your insurance. There are some federal programs to cover cost of the test,” she said.
- Sign up for WTOP alerts
- Latest coronavirus test results in DC, Maryland and Virginia
- Maryland renews state travel advisory amid coronavirus case surge
- U.Md. to go almost entirely online after Thanksgiving
- Anne Arundel Co. delays hybrid school plan, pauses small group instruction
- US sets record for cases amid election battle over virus
- More Americans turned to food banks amid economic impact of pandemic
Looking for more information? D.C., Maryland and Virginia are each releasing more data every day. Visit their official sites here: Virginia | Maryland | D.C.
Charlie Gischlar, a spokesman for Maryland’s Department of Health, said individual private labs offer at-home COVID-19 testing. “While testing in Maryland has grown exponentially in terms of availability and COVID-19 testing sites, at this time, the state is not offering at-home COVID-19 test kits from any labs,” Gischlar said.
The same is true in Virginia, where at-home tests are not provided by the state. But Cheryle Rodriguez with the health department said, “We are however cognizant of the in-home testing and beginning to consider how we can incorporate as needed for certain populations unable to leave their home or with other access and functional needs.”
