TAMPA, Fla. — If you have been trying to find COVID-19 at-home tests at local stores and pharmacies, chances are you haven’t had any luck.

Under criticism after weeks of shortages, President Joe Biden’s administration is working to make COVID-19 rapid test kits more available and accessible to Americans by boosting supply and lowering costs.

A new federal website to request free test kits launched Wednesday — but was available to use Tuesday — with the first shipments going out to U.S. households by the end of the month. In addition, most Americans are now able to get reimbursed for tests that they purchase through their insurance.

Free tests can be ordered at covidtests.gov or usps.com/covidtest. The first tests will ship by the end of January. The White House says “tests will typically ship within 7-12 days of ordering” through the U.S. Postal Service.

“The companies just looked at this and said well this is all over and we really don't need to be producing a lot and then started to drop back on their manufacturing capability because there was no demand anymore,” said distinguished health professor at USF Dr. Thomas Unnasch.

Dr. Unnasch is talking about last November when Florida COVID cases dropped to the lowest point since the pandemic began in 2020.

Fast forward two months and tests that had previously been collecting dust on local store shelves are gone and manufacturers are scrambling to increase production.

Private insurers are now required to cover the cost of up to eight at-home rapid tests per month per insured person under a new Biden administration rule.

In the short term, Dr. Unnasch says not to stockpile tests if you happen to find them at local stores. 

He says it appears the COVID-19 omicron variant is showing signs of peaking and may drop off just as quickly as it began.

“If that's the case by the time all these tests become available this wave may be gone and we may be down to 1,000 cases a day in Florida,” Dr. Unnasch said. “And so I wouldn't think about trying to stockpile it because I think they are going to be readily available and there is going to be more than people are even really going need in maybe 3 to 4 weeks or so."

Unnasch says if you or a family member needs an at-home test and you can’t find one, you can forego the test so long as you are isolating per CDC guidelines as if you had tested positive.