coronavirus testing

Biden Administration to Stop Sending Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests Friday

Without congressional funding for more kits, the government needs to conserve its stockpile in case of a fall surge of disease, the White House said.

FILE - In this photo illustration, a Citoswab Coronavirus (COVID-19) Home Test Kit
Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

The government will end its giveaway of COVID-19 at-home tests Friday because of insufficient congressional funding, a senior Biden administration official said Sunday.

A stockpile of the tests is being depleted, and officials want to have enough on hand in the event of a fall surge, the source said.

The giveaway, which includes tests mailed at no cost to recipients who request them at Covidtests.gov, will end Friday, according to an announcement on the site — unless there's a surprise round of funding from Congress, the source said.

"If Congress provides funding, we will expeditiously resume distribution of free tests through covidtests.gov," the source said. "Until then, we believe reserving the remaining tests for distribution later this year is the best course."

The administration official who spoke to NBC News castigated Congress.

Read the full story here at NBCNews.com.

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