President Joe Biden announced last month that the federal government would buy 5 billion rapid COVID-19 test kits and distribute them for free to people at home. But White House officials have said that despite high public demand for the tests, the kits are still weeks away from shipping.

Does the government have a test?

Not yet. This week marks the end of the initial bidding period for test makers to apply to the Defense Department and the Department of Health and Human Services for contracts to conduct the tests. The first contract, totaling $51.6 million, was awarded on Thursday, with more to be signed in the coming weeks, officials said. All 500 million kits will not arrive at the same time. They will be delivered in batches over several months.

When will the test suite be delivered?

White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said the federal government is expected to deliver the first batch of tests “in the next week or so.” He added that Americans would begin receiving testing kits “in the next few weeks.”

My pharmacy doesn’t have any tests. How do I get a free kit from the government?

You’ll go to a new government website to request kits, but it won’t run until the first test kits are delivered to the government. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said last month: “We obviously won’t be releasing the site until testing is available.”

The Postal Service will handle the fulfillment and delivery of the tests to Americans’ doorsteps, officials said.

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Which home test will I get?

It’s unclear. But Psaki noted that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved several different brands of rapid home tests currently on the market. While they are packaged differently and may use slightly different procedures, their detection mechanisms and effectiveness are generally the same, officials said.

Will I be limited to one test or can I request multiple times?

Pending. Officials are also working on policies about how often people ask for free tests. This is expected to bring a new focus on educating Americans on best practices for when they should take the test.

Why is Biden buying these test kits?

It acknowledges on behalf of the president that the administration needs to do more to increase access to COVID-19 testing, an important tool to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.

With or without symptoms, testing is the only way to determine if they have the virus so they can avoid going out and potentially spreading the disease.

With the holidays approaching, demand for test kits has skyrocketed, people are increasingly eager to test themselves and their families before travel, and the easily transmissible variant of omicron has spread rapidly in just a few weeks, becoming the dominant strain in the U.S.

Biden’s pledge to provide 500 million test kits is in addition to the administration’s earlier pledge to send 50 million rapid test kits to community health centers across the country.

How much does the program cost?

The White House said the purchase would be paid for with funds from the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill that Biden signed into law in March. The exact cost will be known soon.

Are there other ways to get test suites for free?

Starting Jan. 15, private insurers will be required to cover the cost of home testing, just as they cover the cost of PCR lab tests. People can choose to buy the test in store or online and then seek reimbursement from their health insurance provider. Those with public health insurance through Medicare or Medicaid, or those without insurance, will be directed to an upcoming website to order a test or to a community health center in their area that offers free testing.

Will the government plan make it harder for me to find a test at the pharmacy?

White House officials have said the government’s testing comes from new manufacturing capabilities and should not interfere with existing supplies that pharmacies, health clinics and state governments rely on.

“These are additional tests,” Zients said, thanks to the many new tests the FDA has approved over the past few months. “So the capacity for rapid testing is much greater.”