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At-home COVID test kits available to be ordered for free

POLK COUNTY—Residents can now order at-home test kids for COVID-19. 

Anyone 18 years of age or older can now order the test kits that will be delivered directly to their home for free. 

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, in partnership with Labcorp has launched a pilot program that will provide 35,000 free at home collection kits for North Carolinians who may face difficulties traveling to testing sites. 

Anyone 18 and older in the state is eligible and parents or guardians of residents aged 2-17 can request a test collection kit as well. 

People can request a collection kit by visiting pixel.labcorp.com/nc and follow the instructions. Once requested, the kit will be mailed FedEx overnight shipping. 

Once received, register the kit and collect the sample. The included instructions will tell you how to proceed. 

Then mail the sample back to the lab using the prepaid shipping envelope included, then check results, which are normally available 1-2 days after the lab receives the sample. 

Pharmacies have also recently partnered to give away free N-95 masks. The masks should be available at participating pharmacies beginning next week.