An unprecedented surge in COVID-19 cases locally, upcoming holiday travel, and the extremely transmissible omicron variant has area residents scrambling to find COVID-19 tests. The high demand means lines winding down streets at some of D.C.’s public walk-up sites once again, and the city is even calling for volunteers to help assemble more at-home COVID-19 tests.

If you’re looking for a test in D.C., here are your options:

D.C.’s free at-home tests

Note: both the rapid tests and PCR tests mentioned below will not be available at these locations from December 24-26. 

However, on December 26, D.C. will be doing PCR testing at the William Rumsey Aquatic Center (635 North Carolina Ave. SE) and handing out rapid tests at four firehouses (Engine 4 at 2531 Sherman Ave. NW; Engine 8 at 1520 C St. SE; Engine 31 at 4930 Connecticut Ave. NW; and Engine 33 101 Atlantic St. SE.) from 12 p.m.-4 p.m. 

DC Health is offering free rapid antigen tests at eight public libraries – one in each ward.

The program launched on Dec. 22, getting off to a bit of a chaotic start but it largely ironed out by the end of the day.

The tests are available at the Mount Pleasant, West End, Cleveland Park, Petworth, Woodridge, Shaw, Capitol View, and Anacostia branches at the following hours:

Monday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Tuesday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Wednesday: 12 p.m -8 p.m.
Thursday: 12 p.m.-8 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Sunday: Closed

Rapid tests will be limited to two kits per person, per day, and proof of D.C. residency is required. You can bring a D.C. ID card, or a piece of mail with your name and address on it. Each location will have 1,000 tests a day, but officials expect that supply to increase as more tests come in. (The city had 42,000 on hand as of Dec. 20, with 200,000 more on the way – and an order for more than one million rapid tests has been placed, according to D.C. officials).

Results should be available within 15 minutes, and you can report your results to the city at this link.

D.C. libraries and recreation centers will also continue offering at-home PCR tests at 27 locations across the cities. All of the instructions for the test kit can be found online, and you can check the Test Yourself website to see how many tests are left at any given location. For a full list of locations and hours, check here.

You take the test — a nasal swab — yourself, and drop it back off at any of the locations before 8 p.m. on the same day you’ve administered your test. The at-home PCR tests are identical to those administered at D.C.’s public walk-up sites – the only difference is that you are giving yourself the test, according to DC Health senior deputy Patrick Ashley. DC Health will contact you in a few days with your results.

For parents of D.C. public school students, the city is delaying the start of the new semester to Jan. 5, to give students and staff enough time to get tested. According to the city, each school should have enough rapid tests for every student and staff member (100,000 tests total) although a test isn’t required to return to classrooms.

Below is a map of D.C.’s public walk-up testing sites for the week of Dec. 20-26, and library and recreation center self-testing drop-off and pick-up locations. Hover over a location for hours.

More at-home options 

Ready Responders is a telehealth start-up that’s partnered with D.C. to provide in-home healthcare. You can request an at-home COVID-19 test – seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. – from a Ready Responder, who will show up at your door to administer the test. They use rapid, or antigen tests, so results come back within about 15 minutes. (When this reporter used Ready Responders, she was still recommended to get a PCR test following her negative antigen result). Ready accepts most major insurers, as well as Medicaid and Medicare. Call 202-602-0814 to book an appointment.

If you’re willing to spend money on your test, you can order an at-home, rapid antigen test for delivery – although supplies are running low across the region (and country). DC Health’s testing website points residents to use Pixel by LabCorp, an at-home COVID-19 test delivery service for no out-of-pocket cost. The BinaxNOW kits can be ordered online through places like Walmart, Walgreens, andCVS.You can also check local pharmacies like Kalorama Pharmacy in Adams Morgan.

While research on whether at-home tests can detect the omicron variant has just begun, Food and Drug Administration officials said earlier this week that preliminary studies suggest that two brands, the BinaxNow and Quidel QuickVue, “are able to detect the omicron variant with similar performance as with other variants.” However, FDA officials also note that these tests are less likely to pick up early signs of infection and suggest that if you’ve been in contact with a positive case, you should follow up with a PCR test. (See here for more on why you could have COVID symptoms and still get a negative result on a rapid test).

D.C.’s public walk-up sites

This week, D.C. has 14 public testing sites open – no appointment needed. These include eight firehouses, recreation centers like Benning Sotddert and Douglass Community Center, and other sites. Check a full list of locations and hours here.

Note: the public testing sites are not open on Friday, December 24 and Saturday, December 25, although the Rumsey Aquatic Center in Southeast will be open from 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 26.

More providers 

There are also a number of providers in D.C. administering COVID-19 tests, often on an appointment basis. Community of Hope centers throughout the city offer testing with no appointment needed, for all ages. Other providers – like Whitman-Walker, Unity Healthcare, and Mary’s Center – require appointments for testing. District Urgent Care on Georgia Ave. offers drive-through testing Monday-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Farragut Medical and Travel Care on Connecticut Avenue administers rapid antigen testing, same day PCR testing, and antibody testing for COVID-19. You can call 202-775-8500 to book an appointment, or visit their website online. But note that insurance is not accepted – although you can file for a reimbursement. Kaiser Permanente and One Medical also offer testing for members.

Curative has PCR test appointments available at several locations around the D.C. region, although results may be delayed due to the holiday. Insurance is not required, but bring a form of identification and insurance information, if you have it.

SameDay Health, which has two locations in D.C. (Georgetown and Capitol Hill), has several testing options, but the prices are steep. With insurance you can get a free PCR test, but a rapid antigen test will cost $95 – and a rapid, one-hour PCR is $250. SameDay also does house calls, with the lowest priced option being an at-home PCR at $25. They also have four locations in Virginia (Alexandria, Arlington, Sterling, and Tysons Corner) and several in Maryland (Silver Spring, Bethesda, Germantown, and Wheaton).

Grubb’s Pharmacy’s Northeast location has several options for COVID testing – from next-day PCRs to rapid antigen tests – although insurance isn’t accepted, and prices start at $95 for a rapid antigen test, which gives results within 15 minutes. The first available appointments for both antigen rapid tests and next-day PCRs ($150) appear to be next Monday, Dec. 27.

Airports

All three regional airports are offering COVID tests to airline passengers. 

After passing through the south security checkpoint at DCA, passengers can get on-site, same-day testing through XpresCheck in National Hall after passing through security). At Dulles International Airport, XpresCheck is located on the baggage claim level, near door #2, prior to security. 

The company offers both PCR and rapid tests, and passengers are strongly encouraged to make an appointment online before they get to the airport. Appointments are available between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Travelers should allot two to three hours for testing before their flight.

At Baltimore-Washington International Airport, passengers can visit the FirstCall Medical Center between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. The Maryland Department of Health is also distributing free at-home test kits to passengers arriving on international flights.