LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas has received the first 211,000 of the 1.5 million rapid COVID-19 tests it has bought for residents to use, Gov. Asa Hutchinson's office announced Monday.

In a statement, the governor's office said the state would begin distributing the tests shortly to be made available free to Arkansas residents. The cost of the tests — about $10 million — will be covered by funds already existing in the state’s COVID-19 response budget, according to the statement.

The tests will be available at local public libraries, public health offices and other locations, and the National Guard will help deliver the at-home tests.

Meantime, Hutchinson has requested $50 million be distributed to hospitals around the state to fund extra beds to be used to help with the surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations. The Arkansas American Rescue Plan Act Steering Committee has approved the request, but the disbursement still requires legislative approval.

The proposal included adding 98 additional intensive-care unit beds and 167 other hospital beds, all to be dedicated to COVID-19 treatment and funded for timelines of 28-45 days based on the recommendations of the Arkansas Department of Health.

Hutchinson created the Arkansas American Rescue Plan Act Steering Committee in 2020 to make recommendations on the distribution of about $1.57 billion in federal funding.

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This story was first published on Jan. 10, 2022. It has been corrected to show that Arkansas bought the at-home tests. They did not come from the federal government.