Spokane County is one of nine counties in Washington state enrolled in a free at-home COVID-19 test kit program.
Health officials are urging county residents to use the tests before visiting with family, especially if they are unvaccinated.
Kira Lewis, a public health nurse at the Spokane Regional Health District, says at home tests take about 10 minutes, and could be taken Thanksgiving or Christmas morning before going over to a family member's house.
“More testing in the community that's accessible to all members of the public helps people make good decisions about their social lives and interacting with others,” she said. “That is important for the individual and it’s important for our community as a whole moving forward, continuing to have high rates of transmission in our area. We need to meet that with high rates of available testing."
The tests are also available in Okanogan, Ferry, Stevens and Pend Oreille counties and are first come, first serve. There are about 500,000 available statewide.
People can access the tests by going to sayyescovidhometest.org or by calling the state’s coronavirus hotline at (800) 525-0127 and then pressing #.
Lewis said the tests may not be accepted by airlines or businesses, which may require laboratory tests, but are a good option before going to a gathering with family and friends.