The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is encouraging Maine people to order free, at-home COVID-19 tests as part of their planning for upcoming gatherings and travel to protect relatives and friends and help limit the spread of COVID-19 this holiday season.

Households that order through Project Access COVID Tests (Project ACT) may receive one free kit of five rapid tests mailed to their home address every month. Project ACT, a partnership between DHHS and The Rockefeller Foundation, has mailed 170,897 free, at-home COVID-19 test kits – for a total of 854,485 tests – to Maine households since its launch in January 2022, according to a news release.

“Testing before visiting family and friends who are older, immunocompromised, or otherwise vulnerable to COVID-19 provides peace of mind for safe gatherings – and gives people who test positive for this disease an opportunity to get treatment as early as possible when appropriate,” said the release.

“As we head into the holiday and winter season, we encourage Maine people to add placing an order for free, at-home tests through Project ACT to their to-do list,” said Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew and Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Nirav D. Shah. “Testing, along with vaccination and other common-sense precautions, helps keep our families and communities safe during this season of travel and get-togethers. Visit AccessCOVIDTests.org to ensure your family has rapid tests on hand.”

Any Maine resident can visit the Project ACT website, AccessCovidTests.org, to place their order. No payment information is required — both the tests and shipping are free to each Maine household – and the tests will be delivered through Amazon approximately one to two weeks after ordering. The tests require a quick swab inside each nostril, with results available within 15 minutes. The test can be used on any individual older than two.

DHHS remains committed to providing access to convenient at-home tests, as well as continuing its partnership with Walgreens, which administers BinaxNOW rapid tests at no cost to consumers.

More information about accessing free, rapid, at-home tests can be found on the COVID-19 Testing in Maine website.