Rush to get tested for COVID-19 before Christmas is on

BOSTON — This year, the hottest holiday item might not be a toy. It’s a rapid covid test, but just days before Christmas, many pharmacies sold out. Some are going to test kits but have to wait in long lines.

At Tufts, many waited out in the cold so they could get tested before visiting friends and family. The high demand for the at-home test kits has caused many stores like Walgreens and CVS to run out. People can still try to book appointments at pharmacies or clinics. The state’s website also has a link that shows the testing sites available here.

“I came yesterday at 3:30 pm and they were like no shot you’re going to get in here”-a Boston resident was back in line at Tufts at 6:30 am today. This is the line a half hour before the doors open to get tested for COVID. @boston25 pic.twitter.com/3YjCBviQeD
— Kelly Sullivan (@ksullivannews) December 21, 2021

Not all testing sites are free. And some private insurers aren’t covering the cost for people asymptomatic with no known exposure to someone who has covid. If your insurance company doesn’t cover a test, for example, like at Tufts, it’s going to cost you $135.

Just last week, Gov. Baker announced more than 100 hard-hit communities will receive 2.1 million free rapid test kits. Salem was one community that had already started handing the kits out.

“I think the cities worried about what everybody’s worried about the omicron is going to create a spike and surge in cases that are gonna be uncontrollable at some point,” said David Greenbaum, a health agent in Salem.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced free, at-home rapid test kits are available at 14 Boston Public Library branches and Boston Centers for Youth and Family community centers. The city has a stockpile of more than 260,000 kits and started handing them out this past weekend. The roughly 55,000 students in Boston Public Schools will also be getting an at-home test kit to ensure a safe return to school after the winter break. Each kit has two tests in it. This means there are over half a million free tests for residents.

The full list of places to receive a free COVID-19 test kit in Boston include:

BCYF community centers on Paris Street in East Boston
Hyde Park on River St., Mildred Ave. in Mattapan
Tobin in Mission Hill and Shelburne in Roxbury
Boston Public Library Branches in Brighton, Copley Square, Codman Square, East Boston, Grove Hall, Mattapan, Roslindale, Roxbury, and South Boston
BPL and BCYF sites

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