BOISE, Idaho — Editor's note: The video posted above is from the June 8, 2021, Idaho Dept. of Health and Welfare COVID-19 media briefing.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is offering free at-home COVID-19 tests, and they're just a phone call away.
While the number of new cases has fallen sharply since the peak of Idaho's coronavirus outbreak in December, new cases are still occurring -- and as of Monday, 355 people who have received a COVID-19 vaccine have still become infected. Those so-called "breakthrough cases" represent about .05% of the nearly 700,000 people who've received the vaccine in Idaho.
Idaho Health and Welfare encourages anyone who experiences symptoms to get tested. To request a test kit, call 211 - that's the Idaho Care Line. Your name and mailing address are the only pieces of personal information required.
"Reliable and widely available testing is a critical part of our efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19, said Elke Shaw Tulloch, administrator of the Division of Public Health. "Combined with efforts to increase vaccinations, this important initiative can help to get us back to our usual way of living."
Idaho Health and Welfare is working with VAULT Medical to provide COVID-19 PCR testing on saliva for individuals in Idaho.
The VAULT tests can be used whether a person has symptoms or a known exposure to someone with COVID-19. They involve collecting saliva and mailing it to a laboratory that analyzes the sample.
Saliva collection can be done in the convenience of a person's home with the assistance of a trained VAULT Medical observer via a virtual Zoom visit on a smart phone or tablet.
The saliva sample will then be mailed to VAULT in a self-addressed, pre-paid envelope via UPS. Results are available electronically in 24 to 72 hours. Test results are also reported to Idaho state or local public health departments by VAULT, which is a federal requirement for all COVID-19 testing.
If you're experiencing severe symptoms, you should follow-up with your physician or go the nearest emergency department.
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