TOLEDO, Ohio — Earlier this year, the Ohio Department of Health bought two million rapid at-home COVID-19 tests.
Public libraries are helping distribute those tests.
In Toledo, the Grab & Go tests are available at your local Toledo Lucas County Public Library branch.
However, it might not be as easy as it once was, due to the greater demand for test kits as the number of cases rise.
In the spring, Toledo Lucas County Library branches gave out about 600 a week. Now, it's closer to 600 a day.
To reserve a test, you need to call ahead. If your branch is out, you may have to try a couple of locations. A library card isn't needed.
"We will put them under their name in a bag at our front table in our lobby, which is our grab-and-go table, so people don't even have to come in the building," said Cathy Bartel with the Toledo Lucas County Public Library.
To use the test, you'll need a smartphone for your test results in the app and a webcam. Instructions are included in those grab bags or online at the library's website here.
A representative with the manufacturer of the tests will walk you through the process and confirm your results.
If your test is negative you will also get a certificate documenting your negative result to present to a venue, an employer or a school for proof.
