SPRINGFIELD – Ten of the eleven state-managed Community Based COVID Testing Sites will resume normal operations on Wednesday, June 3. This includes Harwood Heights, Aurora, Rockford, East St. Louis, Bloomington, South Holland, Auburn/Gresham/Chatham, Champaign, Rolling Meadows and Peoria.
The testing sites were closed for the past week in light of potentially dangerous atmosphere for those seeking COVID testing.
"In order to reopen the state-managed Community Based Testing Sites, steps have to be taken to add security at each facility to replace personnel that was reassigned due to ongoing civil unrest throughout the state," a spokesperson with the IDPH Joint Information Center told Illinois Review Wednesday.
The Waukegan site will reopen on Thursday, June 4 in a new location to accommodate the restoration of vehicle emission testing at the IEPA-managed facility on Northwestern Avenue. The new location of the Waukegan Community Based Testing Site is 102 W. Water Street.
All individuals with symptoms are encouraged to seek testing at these Community Based Testing Sites. Additional accommodations have been made for the following individuals with or without COVID-like symptoms.
• Healthcare workers
• First Responders
• Employees of Correctional Facilities
• Individuals exposed to confirmed COVID-19 patients
• Employees that support Critical Infrastructure (grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants, gas stations, public utilities, factories, childcare and sanitation)
• All local and state government employees
• Individuals with compromised immune systems, chronic medical conditions
Symptoms Include:
-Fever, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell
Know Before You Go
This is a free service that can be obtained without a doctor’s referral. While this is a free service, you will be asked to show 1) photo identification and 2) healthcare employee or first responder ID/badge, if applicable.
Patients utilizing drive-thru testing sites must be seated at a functioning window. Once you get in line at the CBTS, you will not be permitted to exit your car. For the safety of the testing personnel, drive-thru sites will not be able to accommodate walk-up individuals. Walk-up testing services are only available in Bloomington, Peoria and East St. Louis, at this time. Individuals who utilize the walk-up facilities will be required to use a face covering at the testing site.
Due to the demand for this service, we anticipate there could be significant wait times associated with these drive-thru community-based testing sites. Please be patient. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, you are urged to call your doctor or emergency department to seek immediate care and instructions.
Dozens of additional commercial testing sites are also available throughout the state further adding to the state’s testing capacity. For the most up-to-date list of these sites, visit https://coronavirus.illinois.gov/s/testing-sites. There residents can also find information on eligibility for testing and contact information for each testing site.
