COVID-19 Testing in Rhode Island

You should get tested for COVID-19 if you have COVID-19 symptoms or have been exposed to someone who has COVID-19. Even if your symptoms are mild and you are up to date on your COVID-19 vaccines, you should get tested and stay home and away from others.

It's important to test for COVID-19 so you can take steps to keep yourself and others safe. If you test positive, seek COVID-19 treatment to protect against getting very sick and take steps to prevent spreading illness to others.

How can I get tested for COVID-19?

There are several ways to get tested for COVID-19 in Rhode Island. Be sure to check with your insurance provider about coverage and any out-of-pocket costs.

How to get tested at primary care offices, pharmacies, and clinics

Call your primary care provider or child’s pediatrician, local healthcare clinic, or pharmacy to find out if they offer COVID-19 testing or if they can order a test through a laboratory.

COVID-19 self-testing at home or anywhere

You can use COVID-19 self tests to learn your COVID-19 status in 15-30 minutes, whether you have symptoms or not. These are also called at-home tests or over-the counter tests. 

Every US household can order four free at-home test kits at covidtests.gov. You can also buy COVID-19 self tests through pharmacies and online retailers. 

People in Rhode Island with Medicaid insurance can get multiple COVID-19 self-tests per month at no cost with a prescription from a healthcare professional. 

Options for people who don’t have health insurance or COVID-19 testing and treatment coverage

Federal programs are available to support access to COVID-19 testing and treatment for people without health insurance or coverage in Rhode Island.

  • Find sites offering no-cost COVID-19 testing using CDC’s Increasing Community Access to Testing (ICATT) program test locator. CDC’s ICATT program offers free COVID-19 laboratory tests. Results are usually available within 24–72 hours.
  • Find sites offering COVID-19 testing and treatment at little or no cost through the Test to Treat program. The Test to Treat program helps people get tested and—if they test positive—be prescribed treatments from a healthcare provider and have their prescription filled all at one location. A call center is also available at 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489) for help in multiple languages.