ST. PARIS – The St Paris Public Library and Christiansburg Community Library will begin distributing free COVID-19 at-home test kits beginning next week. Tests will be available curbside at the libraries during hours of operation.

Previous articles in the Daily Citizen noted the Mechanicsburg Public Library and the Champaign County Library and its North Lewisburg branch are distributing the free at-home tests.

The state has secured the purchase of at least 2 million tests that can be self-administered outside of a clinical setting. The new Abbott BinaxNOW Home Test can be provided to individuals for at-home use and is packaged with a telehealth session to oversee test administration, including prescription writing and result reporting. The state’s objective is to make rapid testing much more broadly accessible throughout the state.

Anyone wishing to obtain a free COVID-19 at-home test should start by downloading the NAVICA app onto a mobile device and creating an account for themselves and, if they want to test any children or other dependents, creating managed profiles from the “Account and Settings” portion of the app. After you have completed the registration, call your local library to set up a time to pick up your test.

To complete the test from the comfort of your home, you will need internet access and a laptop, desktop, smartphone or tablet with a webcam and microphone.

To request a test kit, contact the St. Paris Public Library at 937-663-4349 Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. or Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. or contact the Christiansburg Community Library at 937-857-4040 Tuesday through Thursday from 1 to 6 p.m.