Question: When free at-home COVID-19 tests were first delivered by mail at the beginning of this year, the “use by” date for some kits was only a few months away, and Kokua Line shortly thereafter reported that the expiration date for the CareStart brand was extended by three months from the date printed on the box. Now, free tests are being delivered again. I have just received mine, a different brand, called iHealth. One set has a “use by” date of July 4, 2022, and the other, Aug. 9, 2022. Are iHealth tests also extended?
Answer: Yes, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted a three-month shelf-life extension for the iHealth COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test on March 29. This stretched the shelf life of iHealth tests with expiration dates on or before Sept. 29, 2022, from six months to nine months. For example, if the “use by” date on the box says 2022-08-15 (year, month, day), the updated expiration date is Nov. 15. “We will continue to apply to FDA for shelf-life extensions every three months based on our stability studies, and the new shelf lives for our tests will apply to tests already produced as well as future production,” the manufacturer says on its website, at 808ne.ws/ihealth. You can read the FDA’s letter there, as well as input the lot numbers of the tests you received to confirm their extended expiration dates.
To answer another reader’s question, no, you cannot choose which brand of COVID-19 test kits you will receive by mail when you place your order through this federal program, which distributes several brands of FDA-authorized at-home rapid antigen tests.
To request free COVID-19 tests, order online through covid.gov/tests or call 800-232-0233 (TTY 888-720-7489).
Q: How do I get the Hawaii tax rebate if I have already filed state income taxes for 2021?
A: “Resident taxpayers who have already filed their tax return do not need to take any further action” to receive this rebate, the state Department of Taxation said Monday in a statement. The department “anticipates that it will be able to begin processing refunds in late August,” if Gov. David Ige signs into law a bill that the Legislature approved this session. The bill provides a refund of $100 or $300 per exemption for resident taxpayers who file their 2021 individual tax return (Form N-11) by the end of this year. The refund amount varies according to the taxpayer’s federal adjusted gross income and filing status. Kokua Line has heard from numerous readers eager to receive the rebate. DOTAX said it would make an announcement when more details are available.
Q: How do they check your insurance before a road test?
A: Hawaii driver’s license applicants must present a current Hawaii motor vehicle insurance card before the road test begins, according to Honolulu County’s Department of Customer Services. A hard copy or electronic version is acceptable. A hard copy must be an original document issued by the insurance company; photocopied, faxed or computer-printed copies are not accepted, according to the department’s website. If the applicant presents an electronic version (accessed from the insurance company’s website, app or database), the mobile device displaying the proof of insurance must be in the vehicle during the road test, it says.
Mahalo
To two wonderful people who were there when I fell in the parking lot of Costco. To the gentleman who used his antiseptic spray to cleanse my elbow abrasion and to the lady who applied Neosporin and Band-Aids, thank you so much for being there and for tending to my wound. My hope is that you will one day be rewarded for your good deed. — Very grateful senior
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
