Americans can again order free at-home COVID-19 tests from the federal government starting Thursday, ahead of the upcoming respiratory virus season.

This is the third year in a row that the Biden-Harris administration has allowed Americans to order over-the-counter tests at no cost.

Anyone wishing to order tests can do so at COVID.gov/tests. Starting September 30, four tests will ship for free via USPS.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) first announced last month that the free COVID testing program was restarting.

“As families move indoors this fall and begin spending time with their loved ones, both the very old and the very young, they will once again have the option to order up to four new COVID-19 tests for free and have them shipped immediately . to their homes,” Dawn O’Connell, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at HHS, said at a media briefing at the time. “These tests will help protect families and their loved ones this fall and winter season.”

She added that the tests will be able to detect infections from currently circulating variants.

Currently, KP.3.1.1, an offshoot of the omicron variant, is the dominant variant in the US, accounting for an estimated 52.7% of cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

During the same media briefing, CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen that immunity from vaccination and prior COVID infection have helped limit the burden of COVID on the healthcare system.

“I want to acknowledge that right now across the country we continue to see a lot of COVID-19 activity in tests coming out of labs,” Cohen said, adding, “Circulating COVID disease is not translating into a similar increase in number of emergency room visits. and hospitalizations or deaths.”