Free COVID-19 Testing Easy to Find

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched the COVID-19 Testing Locator website, which empowers people to search for free COVID-19 testing locations digitally. 

This innovative digital locator is now part of the CDC Increasing Community Access to Testing (ICATT) program, which enables access to COVID-19 testing, focusing on communities at a greater risk of being impacted by the pandemic, people who do not have health insurance, and surge testing in state and local jurisdictions.

COVID-19 testing is available at no cost at ICATT sites for certain people.

The CDC says people should get a test at one of these locations if they are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or have been in close contact with someone who has recently tested positive for COVID-19.

These tests may include laboratory-based nucleic acid amplification, polymerase chain reaction laboratories, and rapid antigen point-of-care testing.

Test results are typically provided within 24–48 hours.

Testing is also available at pharmacies, commercial laboratories, community sites, and retail locations.

If you test positive at one of these sites and specific treatments are appropriate for you, you can receive a prescription from a healthcare provider and have that prescription filled all in one location.

Additionally, the CDC announced on January 25, 2023, the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron sublineage XBB and its sublineage, XBB.1.5, accounted for 52% of sequenced lineages as of January 21, 2023. 

The CDC says, 'All persons can protect themselves by staying current with recommended COVID-19 vaccines, including receiving a bivalent booster dose when eligible.'

Visit the Test to Treat webpage for more information. In addition, consumers can access the Testing Locator at testinglocator.cdc.gov.