Hawaii officials say free COVID-19 test kits out of stock until next week
The Honolulu Fire Department today said it has run out of free “Say Yes!” COVID-19 home challenge test kits due to high demand, as well as supply and shipping issues.
Additional kits are not expected to arrive in Hawaii until next week.
HFD last week began handing out the free home COVID-19 test kits that the Hawaii Department of Health is distributing as part of a federal pilot program.
A total of 1 million tests were offered to Oahu residents in eligible zip codes, with each kit containing eight rapid antigen tests to be used twice a week for four weeks. Some 80,000 kits, or 640,000 tests, were quickly snapped up online for home delivery.
HFD was to distribute about 3,000 at its four drive-thru, pop-up COVID-19 testing sites at Aloha Stadium, Ewa Mahiko District Park, Waianae District Park, and Kapolei Consolidated Theatres parking lot.
The website also has a notice posted at the top of the page, saying that due to high demand, test kits are currently not available at pickup locations, including the HFD pop-up testing sites, Don Quijote Drugs and Times Pharmacies locations listed.
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
“Due to high demand, test kits are currently not available,” said the posted message. “We anticipate new stock by early the week of October 11th.”
