Here’s How to Order Your Free COVID-19 Test

The federal government opened its website for ordering free COVID-19 tests a day early on Tuesday as the "winter surge" continues on the Seacoast.

Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order the kits from the site covidtests.gov. Each kit come with four free tests. Orders will ship in 7-12 days starting in late January, according to the site.

The White House acknowledged the site at its daily briefing on Tuesday, and the fact that beta sites can have issues.

"We can’t guarantee there won’t be a bug or two. But the best tech teams across the administration and Postal Service are working hard to make this a success," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

One big problem encountered by early users was ordering from apartments and condos with a common street address, according to USA Today.  Many got the message that their order was rejected because of a duplicate address. Including the apartment number in the street address field seemed to solve the problem.

The tests come as the number of COVID-19 cases have dropped, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. There are now 20,045 current COVID-19 cases diagnosed in New Hampshire including 1,785 new positive cases. Six new deaths were reported, including three from December that had been under investigation.

409 individuals are hospitalized.

More National Guard in Hostpials

11 members of the New Hampshire Air National Guard were deployed to Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover to help with staffing issues. Some of their duties include traffic control at the hospital's COVID-19 testing center, assisting in the cafeteria, and preparing test kits.

They join 170 members of the Guard already working at other New Hampshire hospitals, long-term care facilities, and the men's state prison. Another 75 Guardsmen are scheduled to be activated this week.

14 members of the Maine National Guard will report to York Hospital's main hospital starting Thursday to help with non-medical duties to free up staff. A total of 169 members of the Guard from Maine will be deployed.

“I continue to be extremely proud of the men and women of the Maine National Guard, their families, and their employers,” Major General Douglas Farnham said in a statement. “Their assistance is making a real difference during this difficult period, and we will continue to do all we can in the fight COVID-19.”

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNH