The State of Washington has updated it's guidance concerning COVID-19 at-home testing, including changes to how self-testing results should be reported and additional information about COVID-19 treatment. State officials say Washingtonians are now being asked to report "all positive at-home test results through the Say Yes! COVID Test Digital Assistant, even if those testing kits were not obtained through the Say Yes! COVID Test (SYCT) program. "

Free at home tests are still available

You can still get home test kits for free. Health officials in the state say while the federal government has paused the program the state Say Yes! COVID Test program continues to offer up to 10 free tests to every month on a first-come, first-serve basis. The state health department says the program recently celebrated "surpassing 10 million tests distributed throughout the state since the program’s inception in January 2022."
They say new test kits are available at the beginning of each month and can be ordered on the Say Yes! COVID Home Test website. Check the site at
https://sayyescovidhometest.org/

Health officials say the tests have helped many recover faster

“The widespread availability and use of rapid home tests helped Washingtonians take swift action to seek treatment for themselves and protect others from infection in the wake of more transmissible COVID-19 subvariants,” says Lacy Fehrenbach, Chief of Prevention, Safety, and Health. “We encourage every family to have at-home tests on hand with the start of school and approaching fall respiratory virus season. By reporting results through the SYCT digital assistant, Washingtonians can help public health understand the burden and trajectory of infections in Washington state.”

If you need help it's available

A press release from the state health department says "Washington residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 and are in need of assistance with isolation, such as food, personal care kits, or other needs, can still contact the WA DOH COVID-19 Hotline at 1-800-525-0127 to report positive test result and ask to speak with Care Connect, or reach out to a Care Connect hub. Those not in need of additional assistance should proceed with reporting positive cases via the SYCT portal.
The DOH website is your source for a healthy dose of information.

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