The South Dakota Department of Health, in partnership with Vault Health, Inc., is now offering convenient at-home COVID-19 testing kits to all South Dakota residents at no cost.
State Sec of Health Kim Malsam-Rysdon says the saliva-based test is geared toward people who have had close contact with confirmed positive cases, and can be requested by visiting the SD Health Dept website or learn.vaulthealth.com/southdakota.
Malsam-Rysdon says increased access to COVID-19 testing has been at the forefront of the state’s battle against the virus, and the convenient Vault Health kit will make it easier for South Dakotans to get tested and limit the spread.
Users of the kit follow a provided step-by-step sample collection procedure while being assisted by trained medical staff via a web conference service.
The sample is then mailed back to a laboratory for medical analysis with results are delivered via email within 24-48 hours.
Malsam-Rysdon says the at-home testing kits are in addition to the drive-thru testing available for several weeks. As of Friday, over 660,000 COVID-19 tests have been completed statewide.