Tribal, Rural Areas Face Barriers When Ordering Rapid Tests, Says O’Halleran

January 21, 2022

WASHINGTON – Today, following the launch of the Biden Administration’s initiative to set aside four free rapid COVID-19 tests for every American household to request, Congressman Tom O’Halleran (AZ-01) sent a letter to COVID-19 Response Team Coordinator Jeffrey Zients requesting additional steps to ensure that the needs of rural and tribal families—who far too often face significant challenges to receiving COVID-19 vaccines, care, and testing—are not overlooked.

“While I applaud the Biden Administration’s initiative to increase access to COVID-19 testing for American families, I am concerned that the execution will leave behind some who live in rural, tribal, and underserved communities,” said O’Halleran. “I am calling on the White House to prioritize sending rapid test kits to tribal governments to distribute on tribal lands, as well as targeted deliveries of these kits to the health centers that care for rural families.”

Many Native American families share a P.O. Box address, even if they do not live in the same household, and many Native American households are multi-generational, with children, parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents living under the same roof. Consequently, the number of family members in many households on tribal lands often far exceeds the number of test kits provided per household.

“Here on the Navajo Nation, there are many multi-generational families living under one roof across all 110 chapters and many often share one mailing address. We appreciate the Biden-Harris Administration’s proactive approach by providing free at-home test kits, but we need more action to address the unique circumstances for tribal nations and families. We are here to support these efforts and continue work with all federal partners. We thank Congressman O’Halleran for his support and advocacy for our Navajo people throughout this pandemic,” said Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez.

In rural America, COVID-19 vaccination rates lag behind those in other communities, meaning that this latest COVID-19 wave has the potential to overwhelm already stretched rural health facilities. Early reports indicate that rural addresses are not being accepted by the U.S. Postal Service’s free testing site, and many rural Americans must already travel long distances to community-based testing sites or to any local pharmacy or retailer that may have a supply of rapid tests.

View O’Halleran’s full letter: [PDF]