State health department temporarily pauses distribution of at-home coronavirus testing kits
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services temporarily paused Wednesday the distribution of at-home testing kits for COVID-19.
A spokeswoman said people can start to order the kits again Thursday. According to the state health department, a limited number of at-home testing kits will be available each day through the rest of this month. The pause was meant to accommodate an update to "system accessibility" amid a surge in demand, the department said in a news release.
When test ordering reopens Thursday, the department will make a limited supply available daily "in order to improve the ordering system and allow our contractor to continue shipping kits in a timely manner."
The state asks that residents only request tests for "immediate testing needs" because of high test demand and the kits' short shelf life.
"With the high case rates and limited testing supplies available nationwide, now is the time to utilize these tests especially for those who have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or have had exposure to a COVID-19 positive case," the health department said.
Missouri, like much of the United States, is seeing a surge in coronavirus cases as the highly transmissible omicron variant spreads on top of the already-dominant delta variant. The daily average of new cases has jumped to more than 5,500 -- an increase of a few thousand over levels reported just a few weeks ago.
New cases are up 117% over the previous week and more than a quarter of coronavirus tests taken in the state produced a positive result in that time. That rate has increased dramatically since early November.
Testing is up nearly 19% in that time frame.
Missouri hospitalizations for COVID-19 have now surpassed peaks seen during the summer wave of infections and are nearing the record numbers experienced last winter.
