COLUMBIA, S.C. — At-home COVID-19 rapid testing kits will be available to the people of South Carolina starting on Monday, Jan. 24, according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC).
This comes after DHEC ordered more than two million tests in efforts to increase access to timely testing throughout the state. So far, the department has received 140,000 kits from its order and do plan to let the public know when more arrive.
In order to know if a certain DHEC Public Health Department is carrying the tests, DHEC suggests for South Carolina residents to use its testing locator which lets you know if tests are available in those locations.
The rapid tests are said to be user friendly, authorized for emergency use, and provides results in minutes rather than hours or days. This comes right in the midst of recent surge of positive cases in South Carolina.
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Every kit comes with two tests inside. Due to limited supply, there is no guarantee that everyone who wants a kit will get one. Only one kit will be given to individuals who arrive in person to a county health department, no matter their age. People will not be given multiple kits.
DHEC shared that fifty percent of the tests it receives will be given out to the community while the other half will be for first responder agencies, state government agencies, school districts, long-term care facilities, along with county and state correctional facilities.
DHEC expects to receive the full order of the rapid tests over the next several weeks.