Many Alle-Kiski residents experience delay in receiving free at-home covid tests

Almost a month since the Biden administration launched a website for every American household to request free covid-19 tests, many across the nation are still waiting for theirs to arrive. An informal survey of some Alle-Kiski residents showed the patchwork results.

Announced on Jan. 18, the website covidtests.gov lets people make a one-time request for a pack of four covid tests, saying that “orders will usually ship in 7-12 days” through the U.S. Postal Service.

Curtisville resident Samantha Polcsak ordered tests on Jan. 20 for her and her parents. Her father-in-law received tests he had ordered, but Polcsak and her parents haven’t had any luck yet.

“I fortunately haven’t needed a test, but if I did, I’d likely have to spend $200 to go to MedExpress for one because they’re the only location without a long wait,” she said.

Cheswick resident Marcia Szwaczkowski requested tests from the website before it was formally announced. She ordered tests for her neighbor, who received them two weeks ago. Szwaczkowski said that in one of the kits, the vial inside was missing the liquid necessary for the test, but she was happy her neighbor was able to get them.

West Leechburg resident Linda Snyder said she does not mind waiting for her tests, but she’s not holding her breath.

“I’m not going to be shocked if the kits never arrive,” she said.

For those who have been able to receive their tests, arrival times varied. Some received theirs within a week, while others got theirs a month later.

Leechburg resident Christine Coover said she received her test within a week of ordering them.

“I was surprised they came that quick,” she said. “In the meantime, I had a cold and bought one at Big Lots.”

West Deer resident Shannon Waldschmidt received her tests this past Saturday after placing her order the day of the announcement. While waiting, she was able to find tests at online on Costco, Walgreens and Walmart.

USPS spokesperson David Partenheimer said the postal service is shipping out tests as fast as possible as orders are received. He said the postal service has seen 60 million requests for tests, and tens of millions of them have been delivered to households so far.

“This is huge demand, and we’re making incredible progress. We appreciate the patience of those who have not yet received their tests,” he said.