The government said that COVID-19 self-test kits for 21 million people will be available at pharmacies and convenience stores nationwide this week.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said Sunday that the self-test kits will be available at 75-thousand pharmacies and convenience stores in the fourth week of February.

In the previous week, self-test kits for 19 million people were supplied.

The ministry said that initially, it planned to supply the kits for about 30 million people in the third and fourth week of this month, but it has secured kits for an additional ten million people thanks to increased production.

The ministry vowed continued efforts to ensure an increase in production to allow people to purchase the self-test kits at reasonable prices when necessary. It added that people don't have to buy the kits in bulk in advance and free tests are available at COVID-19 testing sites or community health centers.