In a new story from The Daily Yonder, the federal government is sending out free COVID-19 tests to every American. However, if you live in rural America and have a spotty Internet connection or a long drive to your Post Office box, getting the tests is easier said than done.
From the story: “First, there’s already the issue with the U.S. postal system and delays in delivery, said Christopher Shaw, author of First Class: The U.S. Postal Service, Democracy, and the Corporate Threat.
“Then there’s also the website, which is new, and just came online,” Shaw said in a phone interview with the Daily Yonder. “And I’m hearing that there’s some glitches with that. So we’ll have to get those ironed out. If people are at an address, where there’s more than one household and address and one household has already ordered from that address, there could be some confusion.”
Another issue is that in some parts of rural America there are no street addresses to enter into the ordering system, he said.
Aside from the USPS issues, Shaw said getting online to order the tests may be an issues for some residents.
“If you’re in a rural place where you don’t really have access to the internet, which is a sizable number of people in this country, then how are you going to use the website to order in the first place?” he said.”
Despite these hurdles, according to the story the United States Postal System is still a good way to get COVID tests to virtually every American, regardless of where they live. And with the at-home tests, patients won’t have to wait days or even weeks to get results back from a lab.
To read the rest of the story, click here.
SOURCE: The Daily Yonder
