How To Get A Free At-Home COVID Testing Kit In Monrovia

LOS ANGELES, CA — Facing an unprecedented surge in coronavirus cases, Los Angeles County is sending out free at-home COVID-19 tests for residents.

Over the holiday weekend, the county recorded nearly 45,000 new cases, and the daily totals are expected to rise in the aftermath of holiday gatherings. The coronavirus has been spreading at the highest rate of the pandemic in Los Angeles County recently, with each infected person infecting another two people on average, according to the health department.

Demand for tests has led to long lines at some testing clinics, sometimes overwhelming staff.

Officials hope the move to offer at-home testing will make it easier to get tested and slow the spread of the coronavirus. Orange County began offering the at-home option ahead of the holidays in a bid to curb the spread of the highly contagious omicron variant at Christmas and New Year's Eve gatherings.

Any Los Angeles County resident with COVID-19 symptoms or recent exposure to the coronavirus may get an at-home testing nasal swab kit via the mail at no cost.

Residents may sign up on the Picture by Fulgent Genetics website to get a test kit shipped to their home address via FedEx. The test kit should arrive within two days after signup, according to the county.

Residents must have an email account to sign up, and guardians and caregivers may order test kits for others.

The test must be taken on the same day it arrives, according to the county.

The instructions included in the test kit direct users to:

1. Activate the test online
2. Collect your sample from your nose and wash your hands
3. Package your sample in the pre-paid overnight envelope
4. Call FedEx at 800-463-3339 to schedule a one-time FedEx Pickup, or drop off the packaged sample back to the Fulgent Genetics lab via FedEx express drop box
5. You will receive your result within 48 hours after the lab receives your sample.