Through a partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation, Michigan is shipping 250,000 free coronavirus tests to 50,000 homes in vulnerable parts of the state, the Department of Health and Human Services and Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced on Monday, 31 January.

People in eligible ZIP codes in Berrien, Genesee, Kent, Macomb, Muskegon, Oakland, Saginaw and Wayne and Detroit counties can order one test kit per household. Each kit contains five tests and should arrive in Amazon packaging within one to two weeks, according to a statement from Whitmer’s office.

The state identified eligible communities using the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Social Vulnerability Index, which takes into account information generated by the US Census on poverty, housing density , access to vehicles and other factors. Authorities have also been reviewing COVID-19 data to identify risk areas, reports the foundation, a “science-based” philanthropy with offices in New York and Washington, DC.

Additional tests should be available later, the state reported.

To check eligibility, visit the ACT Project website at accesscovidtests.org or, for those without internet access, contact the COVID-19 hotline at 888-535-6136 or 211, a hotline assistance from social, health and social services, for help in ordering tests. .

The Rockefeller Foundation provided the initial investment of $7.45 million to launch the ACT Project with six pioneering state health departments in Arkansas, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, New Mexico and Ohio, reports the foundation.

That includes the cost of one million COVID-19 rapid antigen tests from California-based manufacturer iHealth Labs Inc., which also covered the cost of initial freight shipping, according to the foundation. Ann Abor’s health technology company CareEvolution and Amazon handle distribution and logistics.

“Testing is essential to help Michiganders protect themselves and their loved ones as we face the omicron variant of COVID-19,” the governor said in the statement and thanked the foundation and the health department. of State.

“Together we can protect ourselves by testing, getting vaccinated and boosting ourselves, and wearing a mask in high transmission areas.”

Home testing allows individuals to quickly determine if they have the virus and take steps to self-isolate and seek treatment if needed, MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel said in the statement. She also called for additional actions, promoting vaccinations and boosters.

“At a time when too many people cannot access COVID-19 testing, Project ACT brings together partners from across society to bring testing to more people who need it most,” the foundation says of its mission.

Although the numbers are dwindling, the highly transmissible variant of omicron has driven the number of COVID-19 cases in Michigan to record highs. Even down, the average number of new confirmed cases in recent weeks is several thousand higher than November peaks.

Earlier this month, the governor asked the state health department to begin distributing more than 300,000 test kits to schools and other priority groups, including long-term care facilities and prisons. .

RELATED: Free at-home COVID-19 test kits sent to 18 Michigan libraries in underserved areas

Although health officials have said home tests could be an important way to control the spread of the virus, they have been hard to come by and, for some, expensive. Efforts to bring these tests into American homes have intensified with the rise of omicron, first identified in November and now the predominant variant in Michigan and the United States.

Tests offered by the federal government are also available at COVIDtests.gov.

RELATED: How to get your free COVID tests from the federal government

Residents can also visit MDHHS-supported community testing sites at reception centers, airports and in 22 neighborhoods across the state. To find a nearby testing site, visit this online search tool.

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