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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – On Wednesday, the federal government officially launched the website, covidtests.gov, allowing you to order four free rapid at-home tests.
Nicholas Umana joined much of South Florida Wednesday, signing up for the free tests. “It’s very intuitive. Three steps. Easier than Amazon,” he said.
Umana is an aviation student and says he recently waited five hours for a COVID test at Tropical Park, so ordering the free tests was a no-brainer.
“It’s going to foster a lot safer environment for everyone,” he explained.
Though he lives in an apartment building, there weren’t any ordering issues.
During a federal test run Tuesday, orders made by different people living in the same apartment building were rejected.
Megan Brown ordered her four free tests during the test run Tuesday.
She also ran into a long line when she and her husband had to go to a testing site last month.
While some argue the allotment should be larger, she’s OK with the limit of four home tests per family.
“We have a small family. If we had a bigger family, it might be more of an issue.”
Along with the tests, the government will be distributing 400 million free N95 masks starting next week.
Seen as an effective tool against the Omicron variant because they block 95 percent of particles, the free masks will be available at pharmacies and community health centers.
Kenneth Ray swears by the N95 masks after working in the mechanical insulation field and being exposed to asbestos and other toxins.
“Whatever we can do to control the spread, it’s good for everyone,” he said.