Color Health is providing free COVID testing through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Increasing Community Access to Testing (ICATT) program to help millions in underserved communities access free COVID testing.

Through the partnership, Color Health will improve testing access across the country and provide a sustainable strategy for COVID testing in communities suffering from low public funding, with an emphasis on individuals who are under- and uninsured and at risk for severe COVID-19.

“When there are COVID-19 surges, underserved populations continue to have trouble accessing testing quickly and efficiently to prevent the spread in their communities — despite the fact that we are years into the pandemic,” says Othman Laraki, CEO of Color. “Through the ICATT program, we’re bringing Color’s proven testing capabilities — and our commitment to improving public health — to locations where they are urgently needed. We’re proud to support the CDC to help these communities become more resilient, both today and in advance of future surges of the virus.”

As a part of this program, Color Health will stand up nearly 1,000 new testing sites across the country in the coming weeks, the majority of which are expected to be in public libraries and pharmacies in rural areas that lack sufficient access to testing.

Testing site locations will be determined using the CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index, which is a measure of a community’s vulnerability in the face of a public health emergency. Community members in locations that score high on this index are more likely to be low income, non-native English speakers, disabled, or have low digital literacy.

Most sites will use unmonitored onsite testing so that community members can pick up a free testing kit, conduct a nasal swab, and drop off the kit, all with minimal overhead required from sites. Any individual who is symptomatic, has been exposed to COVID-19, is pregnant, or is at higher risk for severe COVID-19 may utilize the sites.

Testing at these sites will be:

  • No cost — Regardless of insurance status, individuals will not be charged for testing at a Color Health site.
  • Safe — Testing does not require an indoor setting so as to reduce any potential exposure to symptomatic individuals.
  • Low-tech friendly — Color Health test results are sent via email and text, so visitors don’t need a smartphone or high level of connectivity to get test results.
  • Accessible — Testing will be offered directly in these communities, including on weekends, removing the need to travel far to access a test.

Since the pandemic began, Color has been building public health infrastructure for governments, employers, and other institutions that serve large populations.