The free tests issued by the program will be viable at least through to the end of the year, with many at-home COVID tests having extended expiration dates. However, it is always important to check whether your tests have expired before relying on them for your results.

To order the tests, visit COVIDtest.gov. Once ordered, the at-home tests will be shipped to homes for free. Each household can receive up to four free tests. The tests will be able to detect the dominant variants that are circulating, including the following subvariants, according to the CDC .:

Remember the postal service's free COVID test program, where they'd mail a box of tests to your house? It's making a comeback: Starting in "late September"—so, any day now—you'll be able to visit COVIDTests.

It ran from Dec. 22, 2018 to Jan. 25, 2019, during the Trump administration. At 34 days, it was the longest government shutdown in history by a significant margin, as most shutdowns in recent decades have lasted two weeks or less.

The House has rejected Speaker Mike Johnson's bill to temporarily fund the government. The legislation that failed Wednesday would have linked temporary government funding with a mandate that states require proof of citizenship when people register to vote.