The US government will resume offering free at-home Covid-19 tests to American households starting in late September. The program, which has provided over 1.8 billion free tests since 2021, will allow individuals to request four free tests through COVIDtests.gov.

The tests can detect currently circulating Covid variants, including descendants of the omicron variant JN.1. The relaunch comes amid a summer surge in Covid cases and ahead of the fall and winter seasons when the virus typically spreads more easily.