The State of Vermont is testing a program to deliver COVID-19 rapid tests to people across the state, according to the governor's office.
Gov. Phil Scott announced Thursday that the state is launching a pilot program developed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that will allow residents to order tests online and have them delivered.
The Say Yes! COVID Test initiative is an effort to make testing more readily available to residents. This comes as the omicron variant is spreading rapidly across the region, increasing demand for testing services.
This is a pilot program and there will only be 500,000 tests available in this first round, Scott stressed. It is separate from the federal program, though follows a similar model.
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"As with every new program, there are going to be unanticipated challenges, the number of kits each household can order will be limited, it could take up to a week for them to be delivered, and we expect that they will go very, very quickly," Scott wrote in a media release.
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The available tests, which are offered free of charge, are made by Quidel and authorized for use by the FDA. These are at-home rapid tests that will give results in 10-15 minutes.
The state will release details on how residents can order a test next week.
