WASHINGTON (AP) —

Following the surge in COVID-19 cases this summer, Americans will be able to have free virus testing kits sent to their homes starting in late September.

According to the website COVIDtests.gov, U.S. households will be able to order up to four COVID-19 nasal swab tests when the federal program resumes. The U.S. health agency that oversees the tests has not yet announced an exact date for when orders will begin.

The tests detect current virus strains and can be ordered ahead of the holiday season when family and friends gather for festivities, an HHS spokesperson said in an emailed statement. Over-the-counter COVID-19 home tests typically cost about $11. Status last year.

The announcement also comes as the government is again urging people to get an up-to-date COVID-19 booster shot ahead of the fall and winter respiratory virus season. Earlier this week, U.S. regulators approved an updated COVID-19 vaccine designed to combat recent strains of the virus and hopefully upcoming winter strains as well. But vaccine willingness is declining. Most Americans have some immunity from previous infection or vaccination, but data shows that less than a quarter of U.S. adults received the COVID-19 vaccine last fall.

The Biden administration has distributed 1.8 billion COVID-19 tests, half of which have been distributed to households by mail. It is unclear how many tests the government has on hand.

Tens of billions of taxpayers’ money have been spent on developing tests, vaccines and treatments for Covid-19.

Although the number of deaths and serious infections has dropped dramatically since COVID-19 began spreading in the United States in 2020, hospitalizations have begun to sneak up easily in recent weeks. In total, more than 1 million Americans have died from the virus.