You can get free COVID-19 test kits at DC Public Libraries again. Here's why

As of Wednesday, Nov. 22, residents around the District can once again get free COVID-19 test kits at 22 different D.C. Public Libraries.

It's the first time the free at-home tests have been available for pickup at libraries since the end of February, when COVID cases in the region started to decline.

While the length of time test kits will be available at D.C. Public Libraries will depend on "supply and demand," according to a spokesperson for D.C. Health, the program will run through at least March 2024.

Why are free tests returning to D.C. Public Libraries? Are COVID-19 cases on the rise?

There's not yet evidence of rising cases around the District, D.C. Health told News4 on Wednesday, saying "current hospitalization rates for COVID-19 are around 50% less than they were at this time last year."

The return of free test kits at D.C. libraries is a purely preventative measure, meant to give people the tools to stop the spread of viruses before they start circulating widely, and focus more on holiday fun than health worries.

That's especially important to protect the elderly and other high-risk members of the D.C. area, during a time of year when people are gathering with family and might run into more viruses, D.C. Health said.

"This strategy aligns with other federal, state, and local public health agencies that have increased efforts during fall respiratory illness season to ensure access to COVID-19 tests in public locations," D.C. Health said in an email to News4.

Making test kits available in some of the most popular D.C. library locations across all eight Wards in the city also means "those who may not have the resources to purchase them" can get "equitable access" to the tests, the email said.

Each D.C. Public Library location has around 360 test kits to start, and D.C. Health will restock each library's test supply as needed.

You also don't need to live in the District to take advantage of the free tests, according to that D.C. Health spokesperson.

"We don’t consider residency when distributing test kits," D.C. Health told News4 in an email. "We just ask that individuals limit the number of kits they take to what they need for their own family."

Here's the full list of library locations with test kits available, as of Wednesday:

1. Mt. Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW
2. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW
3. Shaw/Watha T. Daniel Library, 1630 7th St. NW
4. West End Library, 2301 L St. NW
5. Palisades Library, 4901 V St. NW
6. Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW
7. Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW
8. Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW
9. Chevy Chase Library, 5625 Connecticut Ave. NW
10. Shepherd Park/Juanita E. Thorton Library, 7420 Georgia Ave. NW
11. Takoma Park Library, 416 Cedar St. NW
12. Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW
13. Lamond-Riggs/Lillian J. Huff Library, 5401 South Dakota Ave. NE
14. Woodridge Library, 1801 Hamlin St. NE
15. Northeast Library, 330 7th St. NE
16. Southwest Library, 900 Wesley Pl. SW
17. Southeast Library, 403 7th St. SE
18. Benning/Dorothy I. Height Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE
19. Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE
20. Capitol View Library, 5001 Central Ave. SE
21. Anacostia Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE
22. Bellevue/William O. Lockridge Library, 115 Atlantic St. SW