Vermonters snapped up the free antigen tests offered in a federal pilot program.
As of 2:45 p.m yesterday, all 350,000 tests available through the first phase of the “Say Yes” rapid test pilot program had been ordered. The partnership with National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Amazon allowed Vermonters to order 350,000 free rapid tests, which will be delivered to homes over the next one to two weeks.
“As expected, demand was very high and shows how much Vermonters understand the importance of testing as a way to protect their health and the people around them,” said Governor Phil Scott.
Governor Scott said today’s effort will provide important insights that will aid development of similar efforts at the state and federal level in the future. “I want to thank our public and private partners for their work on this initiative,” said Governor Scott. “While we knew the limited supply would go quickly, this effort will help inform future decisions, as we continue to work to make testing as accessible as possible for all Vermonters.”
Since late December, Vermont has delivered or begun distribution of several hundred thousand rapid tests through this program, community pick-up locations, K-12 schools, child care programs, long term care facilities and other community partners.
The Scott Administration will continue its work to acquire more tests for Vermonters and make them available as supply allows.
PCR testing can be accessed through the Department of Health’s testing website: https://www.healthvermont.gov/covid-19/testing
As of Tuesday, thousands of appointments were still available for this week.