Say Yes! COVID Test Program Offers Free, Rapid, Self-Administered Tests to Individuals in Yakima County to Reduce COVID-19 Spread

Yakima County has been chosen to participate in the national initiative Say Yes! COVID
Test At-Home Testing program, which provides households with access to free, rapid COVID-19 test
kits that they can self-administer. Say Yes! COVID Test encourages individuals to use the tests to reduce
the spread of COVID-19 and keep the community healthy. Individuals in Yakima County can order
testing kits online for free home delivery.

The Say Yes! COVID Test initiative is a cooperative effort from the National Institutes of Health (NIH),
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), community partners, test manufacturer Quidel,
and healthcare technology company CareEvolution. Participating state and local health departments help
connect the initiative to local community members. Researchers at NIH-supported academic health
centers will work with CDC and NIH to use publicly available data to determine if the local testing
efforts slowed the spread of COVID-19.

Rapid, self-administered testing has potential to disrupt the spread of COVID-19 that occurs when
people are infected, but don’t yet have symptoms. Testing on a routine basis offers the best chance of
identifying COVID-19 infection and isolating early. The COVID-19 tests are authorized for use by the
FDA, provided free of charge, and the entire testing process can be managed privately at home for
anyone over the age of 2. Tests require a quick swab inside each nostril, and results can be read in just
10 minutes. A free, private, and easy-to-use mobile application is available to help individuals in every
step of test taking.

Starting on Tuesday, December 7th individuals in Yakima County can visit the
SayYesCovidHomeTest.org to order test kits for doorstep delivery. This program will be available to
community members through the end of December or until the over 1 million kits available to
participating counties in Washington State are utilized.

Results from these self-administered, self-swab, rapid COVID-19 tests will not be able to be used in any
official capacity such as proof of negative test for travel, events, return to work or school.
If you have questions about the Say Yes! COVID Test project, visit SayYesCovidHomeTest.org.

Positive COVID-19 Test
If individuals received a positive COVID-19 test, it is important to self-isolate regardless of their
vaccination status. This means they will need to:

• Monitor their symptoms. If they have an emergency warning sign (including trouble breathing),
seek emergency medical care immediately.
• Stay in a separate room from other household members, if possible.
• Use a separate bathroom, if possible.
• Avoid contact with other members of the household and pets.
• Don’t share personal household items, like cups, towels, and utensils.
If individuals are unable to limit contact with other members in the household, they should wear a mask.
For those that had COVID-19 and had symptoms, their isolation period can end after:
• 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared and
• 24 hours with no fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and
• Other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving.