Protect Your Health
COVID-19 Testing
There are many ways to access COVID-19 testing in Virginia. At-home rapid antigen tests are available through VDH, through Medicare and private insurance companies, and for purchase from retail pharmacies. Learn more about whether to get tested, where to get tested, and what to do after testing below.
Questions about whether you should get tested?
- If you were or may have been exposed to COVID-19, refer to VDH’s guidance on what to do if you were potentially exposed to COVID-19
- If you are or may be sick with COVID-19, refer to VDH’s guidance on What to Do if You are Confirmed or Suspected COVID-19.
- If you have questions about whether your symptoms are consistent with COVID-19, visit CDC’s Self-Checker. You can also refer questions to your health care provider.
- For questions about travel, high-risk activities, and other testing guidance, access CDC’s testing page.
Find Your Test
At-home COVID-19 testing
Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests
The federal government is shipping 4 free at-home COVID-19 rapid antigen tests to every household via USPS.
VDH Supporting Testing Access through Community Collaboration
Community members can pick up FREE test kits from participating libraries (library cards aren’t required) and take the kits home to self-test for COVID-19 through VDH Supporting Testing Access through Community Collaboration (VDH-STACC).
Walgreens Partnership
VDH has partnered with Walgreens Pharmacy to offer free COVID-19 antigen tests (using Abbott BinaxNOW tests) at many stores across the state.
K-12 and Child Care Testing
VDH offers COVID-19 testing resources for schools and child care facilities through July 2023. These programs are funded by the CDC ELC Reopening Schools Award.
CDC Increasing Community Access to Testing
People with or without health insurance do not have to pay for COVID-19 testing at Increasing Community Access to Testing (ICATT) locations. Search for a location convenient for you, then visit the provider’s website to make an appointment.
More Information on COVID-19 Testing
Questions about types of COVID-19 tests and what to do after your test?
Visit the CDC COVID-19 Testing: What You Need to Know webpage for more information on types of tests and what to do after your test, and the VDH webpages:
- COVID-19 Antigen Tests – What do my results mean?
- VDH If You Are Sick Page
- When is it safe to be around others?
- If you test positive for COVID-19 and are at higher risk of getting very sick, contact your healthcare provider to see if you are eligible for treatment. Early treatment can prevent you from getting sicker. Read more about COVID-19 treatments on the VDH COVID-19 Treatment Webpage.
Covid-19 Related Questions
VDH’s Call Center:
1-877-ASK-VDH3 (1-877-275-8343)
Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Healthcare Providers
For testing information for healthcare providers, please visit VDH’s COVID-19 Testing and Laboratory for Healthcare Providers.
Does my workplace need a CLIA certificate to test employees for COVID-19?
Yes. In an effort to provide support to workplaces who may be doing COVID-19 testing, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has prepared materials to outline the simple steps necessary to do this. Generally, a CLIA certificate of waiver is necessary for a workplace to do testing. For information regarding CLIA requirements and the application process for workplace COVID-19 testing, please see the Quick Start Guide for COVID-19 Testing in the Workplace (PDF) (5 pp, 3.4MB) and the Workplace COVID-19 Testing Fact Sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 152KB).
Please note: CMS is temporarily exercising enforcement discretion and allowing employers to start waived SARS-CoV-2 Point of Care testing after a facility has submitted a CMS-116 application.
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