CDPHE expands at-home COVID-19 testing program to all public-facing employees

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) announced today the expansion of the Binax At-Home rapid testing program to include all employees who interact with the public at their jobs across the state.

As Colorado moves steadily through the vaccination process, the free tests provided to Coloradans by the Binax At-Home program will allow individuals to order testing kits to their homes and test themselves for COVID-19 under the guidance of a telehealth proctor. 

Public-facing employees include anyone who is required to interact with members of the public as a part of their employment. This category includes, but is not limited to, the following: retail workers, hotel and other hospitality employees, events industry employees, delivery and truck drivers from all industries (including DoorDash, UberEats, Amazon, etc.), movie theater employees, bank employees, gym employees, real estate agents and other staff, construction workers and tradespeople, general maintenance staff (cleaners, building maintenance, plumbers, electricians, and other tradespeople), grocery store workers, energy and utility workers, and security workers for all industries. 

“Our top priority has always been keeping Coloradans safe. To our retail employees, factory workers and other in-person employees who call our state home, we appreciate your work throughout the pandemic,” said Governor Polis. “We recognize the sacrifices that public-facing employees have made each and every day, from bank tellers and educators to delivery drivers and utility workers, and we will provide the tools and resources to assure that hard-working Coloradans are well protected as we continue to open our economy.”

“The expansion of the Binax At-Home program is a testament to our deep commitment to keep Coloradans and their families healthy. We understand the value of social distancing and wearing masks— rapid, at-home Binax tests are another tool to ensure that our community workers are well-equipped and feel safe reporting to work in-person,” said Scott Bookman, COVID-19 Incident commander, CDPHE. “Our economy relies heavily on the many devoted public-facing employees that enter work to serve the needs of our community. Providing at-home testing to more Coloradans will help us mitigate the spread of COVID-19.”

“Binax At-Home is a widely available and free tool that will help build a sense of security for Coloradans as we continue to open our economy,” said Sarah Hamma, Deputy Director for COVID testing at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. “Making these tests accessible is our top priority. As more and more Coloradans qualify to receive the vaccine, we must continue to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and use these crucial tools to promote a smooth return to daily life.”

Public-facing employees can enroll in the program by filling out a Google Form which verifies their employer and their email address. Once applicants are approved, they will receive an email from CDPHE detailing how they can order their own free testing kit, delivered directly to their homes via Amazon. From there, individuals will schedule a telehealth appointment for instruction on how to administer the test via the NAVICA App. Test kits contain six tests, which recipients can use to test themselves every five days. Users are eligible to order their next Binax At-Home testing kit 20 days after their previous order.

Testing kits are free of charge to the user. 

For more information visit https://covid19.colorado.gov/covid-19-testing-at-home.