AUGUSTA?The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) announced today that Maine people may now order free COVID-19 tests once a month through Project Access COVID Tests (Project ACT). Households in Maine may place one order per month through the Project ACT website and receive one free kit of five rapid tests mailed to their home address.

Project ACT, a partnership between DHHS and The Rockefeller Foundation, has mailed 489,400 free, at-home COVID-19 test kits to Maine households since its launch in January 2022.

?Through the continued success of our partnership with Project ACT, Maine families can now receive free, convenient COVID-19 tests right at their door every month,? said Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew and Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Nirav D. Shah. ?Testing, along with vaccination and other common-sense precautions, will help to keep our communities safe and healthy. Visit AccessCOVIDTests.org to ensure your family has tests on hand in case you get sick or come into contact with someone with COVID-19.?

Any Maine resident can visit the Project ACT website, AccessCovidTests.org, to place their order. No payment information is required ? both the tests and shipping are free to residents ? and the tests will be delivered through Amazon approximately one to two weeks after ordering. The tests require a quick swab inside each nostril, with results available within minutes. Any individual over the age of two can use the tests. As of July 8, 2022, the shelf-life of these rapid antigen tests has been extended from 6 to 12 months.

Maine was one of six states that participated in the pilot phase of Project ACT to increase access to testing in vulnerable communities. In February 2022, DHHS made the free tests available to all Maine households, regardless of ZIP code. Maine went on to become the first of the six pilot states to extend the program by providing additional tests and allowing reordering of up to three tests kits. Due to the success of Project ACT in Maine and other states, The Rockefeller Foundation extended the program nationwide in August.

DHHS is focused on ensuring access to convenient at-home home tests, also by continuing its partnership with Walgreens which administers BinaxNOW rapid tests at no cost to consumers. More information about accessing free, rapid, at-home tests can be found on the COVID-19 Testing in Maine website.