Free COVID tests soon available as case numbers rise. How to order your test

The federal government will once again send out free COVID tests as case numbers rise across the country and especially in upstate New York.

Starting in late September, each household will be able to receive up to four free tests from the COVIDtest.gov website. Once ordered, the at-home tests will be shipped to your doorstep for free. An exact date when Americans will be able to order the COVID-19 tests has not yet been announced.

The tests will also be able to detect the dominant variants currently circulating. These include the subvariant KP.3.1.1, which accounted for nearly 37% of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., and KP.3, which accounted for over 16%, according to the CDC.

Here's what you should know:

How many COVID cases are reported in NY?

Parts of the state's north, including the Finger Lakes, reported the largest increases in COVID patients hospitalized and detected in wastewater tests in September, as the virus spread among children returning to school and workers returning to offices for the fall.

A total of 194 COVID patients were in Finger Lakes hospitals on Monday, about 11% more than in late August and more than double the number at the start of the summer surge in early July. In contrast, the Mid-Hudson region had 131 COVID patients on Monday, unchanged from late August. The total number of COVID patients statewide also remained unchanged so far in September due to trends in the New York City area.