At-home COVID-19 tests are reselling for up to triple their retail price as the Omicron variant surge causes mass shortages of the crucial kits. BinaxNOW rapid tests are selling for as much as $75 through secondary sellers online — which is about three times the at-cost price of the kits, which contain two tests each, according to Bloomberg. And it isn’t just online opportunists hiking prices. Some major retailers have begun charging more for tests in recent weeks. Walmart and Kroger recently hiked prices after the expiration of their 100-day deal with the Biden administration to sell the kits “at cost.” Walmart is selling BinaxNOW kits for $20 each. Kroger raised prices to $24 per kit. The shortage of tests has prompted some Americans to use creative means to acquire the kits — often for steep prices. One New York restaurant worker told Bloomberg that she and coworkers bought four tests for $180 from a person who got them for free through their job. In December, President Joe Biden pledged to distribute 500 million free at-home COVID-19 tests to help alleviate the shortage. Meanwhile, public officials have expressed concern about the spike in prices for at-home tests. In December, New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a warning about “potential price gouging” after her office received complaints about BinaxNOW kits “being unlawfully sold for more than $40 and up to $70 per package.” Follow the latest news on the Omicron variant with the New York Post’s live coverage “If New Yorkers see exorbitant price increases on testing kits or other goods vital and necessary for health, safety and welfare, they are encouraged to report it my office immediately,” James said in a statement. “And fraudsters are on notice that if they attempt to price gouge during this new surge, we will not hesitate to take action.” Abbott Laboratories, which manufactures the BinaxNOW tests, told Bloomberg it has not raised prices for the kits since they were first released. Abbott Laboratories did not immediately return the Post’s request for further comment on the situation.
