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Free government COVID tests: Glitch won't allow many to get them

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MESA, AZ — If you're trying to get a COVID-19 test, it's not easy getting one quickly.

That's likely why the government's new Covidtests.gov site is so popular.

It promises four free COVID tests delivered to your home.

But David in Mesa let me know he's had a hard time getting the tests.

David plans to see his older sister who has health issues. He says he and his wife have all their vaccines, but he wants to test before he makes the visit just to be sure.

So, he went to the site and filled in his Mesa address.

David says when he tried to place an order, "it says this has already been sent to that address and you're basically out of luck."

Already delivered? He says it doesn't make sense.

It seems David discovered a glitch in the system.

He's not living in a typical residential house while in Arizona.

He and his wife live in an RV/mobile home park.

His park has more than 600 lots.

Each of the lots has a unit number, but all the units share one street address.

David says his neighbors also say they can't get their tests — most of the neighbors anyway.

One of them told David she did get her government COVID tests.

"She said, 'I think I'm the one who took the address. I got mine,'" she told him.

Cecilia also let me know she has 500 residents sharing her park address at a different Arizona RV/mobile home park.

She says the test system "rejects everyone's request... saying there has been an order placed to this address."

Online there are complaints from apartment tenants having the same issue.

We reached out to covidtests.gov partners, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the United States Postal Service.

We were led back to a help page to file a service complaint.

David says he already filed his complaint and his wife called the phone number, but they got nowhere — and so they wait.

"We've been coming here for six years, and we get our mail here. So, it's just baffling, that's all," David says.

The government site is new, but this is a big problem in Arizona and needs an answer.

We'll keep pushing for a solution.

So, are you having trouble getting tests through covidtest.gov?

Let me know at joe@abc15.com