The state shares good news Friday for Detroiters and Downriver residents, who can get free Covid home test kits at nine public libraries.
Each site listed below has 300 of the single-test kits, offered on a first-come basis during regular hours at each branch. Recipients are asked to take one kit per person, up to five per householdd.
The hard-to-find item, sold at drugstores for about $20-$24, is called an antigen test. It analyzes a nasal swab sample to detect proteins associated with the coronavirus. If they are present, a positive result appears on a test strip in minutes, much like a home pregnancy test.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services this week sent nearly 5,500 kits to the Detroit sites and nine other libraries in "underserved areas" of Calhoun, Clare, Newaygo, Oceana and Saginaw counties. "Additional kits will be shipped to these sites as needed and more libraries will be added to the distribution in the coming weeks," a news release says.
"We are continuing to find innovative ways to provide Michiganders with opportunities to protect themselves from Covid-19," said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director. "Testing is an important tool to limit the spread of the virus and we encourage residents to visit participating library locations to get their test kit."
(Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash)
Separately, the federal government next Wednesday starts taking requests here for four free test kits per household.
Here are the Wayne County giveaway locations while limited state supplies last:
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Detroit Public Library main branch, 5201 Woodward
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Campbell branch, 8733 Vernor Hwy.
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Edison branch, 18400 Joy
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Jefferson branch, 12350 East Outer Dr.
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Parkman branch, 1766 Oakman Blvd.
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Redford branch, 21200 Grand River Ave.
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Wilder branch, 7140 E. 7 Mile Rd.
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Detroit Mobile Library, Conley branch, 1-2:30 p.m. Jan. 17; Franklin branch, 9-10:30 a.m. Jan. 19; Knapp branch, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Jan. 19; Elwood branch, 1-2:30 Jan. 19
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Taylor Community Library, 12303 Pardee Rd.
