FDA extends shelf life of nearly 1 million expired COVID-19 test kits in Florida, governor says

COVID-19 testing centers throughout Florida — which have been dealing with crushing demand over the last few weeks — may have just caught a big break.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday announced that up to 1 million coronavirus rapid test kits which had expired in December can actually be used.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration extended the expiration date for three months on a warehouse full of between 800,000 and 1 million Abbott Laboratories BinaxNOW COVID-19 test kits, pushing their shelf life to March.

The tests, which had expired between Dec. 26 and 30, will now be sent to emergency management offices, county health departments, public safety agencies, hospitals, and long-term care facilities.

DeSantis added the rapid COVID-19 test kits are not at-home tests and cannot be sent to Floridians directly. Only trained medical professionals can administer them at testing sites.

The FDA said it extended the expiration date after "ongoing stability studies" proved the test kits were still accurate and usable.

For weeks, testing centers throughout Florida have faced hours-long wait times and COVID-19 test kits are nearly impossible to find at local pharmacies.

To combat the shortage, DeSantis said the state has acquired 1 million at-home tests which are being sent to nursing homes, long-term care facilities, and senior communities.