COVID-19 self-test kits for 30 million people to be available in pharmacies, convenience stores

A citizen holds a COVID-19 self-test kit at a makeshift testing center in Seoul, Feb. 13. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said Sunday self-test kits for 30 million people will be available at local pharmacies and convenience stores for two weeks starting this week. Yonhap

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said Sunday self-test kits for 30 million people will be available at local pharmacies and convenience stores for two weeks starting this week.

The ministry will also distribute self-test kits for 24 million people at COVID-19 testing clinics and virus-prone facilities starting Monday.

In light of the surge in home-treatment patients, the government earlier announced it will ban online sales of COVID-19 kits starting Sunday and temporarily restrict the purchase of kits to five units per person at one place for three weeks in order to stabilize supply.

The decision was made amid concerns of scalping and other potential antitrust moves related to the procurement of self-test kits, following a surge in the number of Omicron variant patients under "self-treatment" at home. (Yonhap)

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