Healthcare startup Everlywell released 30,000 coronavirus (COVID-19) tests on Monday, March 23, but these won't be made available to the general public just yet. Originally, Everlywell intended to make the tests available to consumers for $135 per test kit, however the company decided at the last minute to "allocate [Monday's] supply of COVID-19 tests to hospitals and healthcare systems only in order to get these tests in the hands of those who need them most urgently."

By those who need them most, Everlywell was referring primarily to healthcare workers, those vulnerable to contracting the virus due to routine close proximity to coronavirus patients.

"It has become increasingly apparent there is a desperate need for health care workers caring for sick patients on the front lines to have priority access to testing for COVID-19," said Everlywell CEO Julia Cheek to Fortune, regarding the decision to supply the tests to medical professionals first. "There has been a massive concern by these professionals who are being exposed, and could contract the virus, but there aren't enough tests to see if they have it themselves."

Everlywell received countless messages from "hospital systems, doctors, nurses, and healthcare providers," as well as the White House, which influenced the company's decision.

Once tests do become available to the general public, a doctor (which could include a qualified telemedicine doctor) will need to prescribe the test. If the doctor decides testing is necessary and proceeds with the prescription, Everlywell will send the customer a test kit for $135 and perform lab tests on the received sample at an approved site within 72 hours. Customers can expect to receive results through email or text.

At this point, Everlywell hasn't released a statement regarding when tests will be made available to the general public, only that wide release is their intent and at least 236,000 tests will be added soon.

Ultimately, the company would like testing and diagnosing to reach 250,000 people weekly.

Despite the current $135 purchase fee, Everlywell isn't making a profit from current or future sales of their coronavirus tests. The company is currently looking into how to make tests available for free in the future.

Everlywell, having acknowledged that the shortage of tests puts millions of citizens at risk, is "still committed to making a COVID-19 test available to consumers who fall within the CDC's guidelines for recommended testing and are actively working with the FDA on a path forward."