State Announces Community-Based
Testing Sites Now Open to All
Expanded Criteria Will Allow Anyone to Get
Tested, Regardless of Symptoms
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[August 26, 2020]
The State of Illinois is opening its
community-based testing sites to anyone to get tested, regardless of
symptoms or other criteria. As we move through the Restore Illinois
plan, and into a full reopening of the state, testing will be
crucial to identifying new cases and taking immediate action to
prevent additional spread.
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As we move forward, COVID-19 testing must be
widely available and this is a step in that direction, said
Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) Director Alicia
Tate-Nadeau. The state-operated Community-Based Testing Sites
currently have the capacity to test more than 6,000 people per day,
and now there will be no restrictions to who can be tested for this
potentially deadly virus.
No appointment, doctor referral, or insurance is needed at state
operated drive-thru sites and testing is available at no cost to the
individual.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is recommending
anyone who has recently been part of a mass gathering, including
rallies and protests over the past week, get tested for coronavirus
disease (COVID-19).
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As people gather in large crowds with varying
degrees of social distancing, there is cause for concern about
COVID-19 spread and outbreaks, especially if masks were not worn
universally, said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. I urge anyone who
recently attended a rally, protest, or other mass gathering to get
tested for COVID-19 so we can identify any cases early. We recommend
testing 5-7 days after participating in large group rallies, or
immediately if symptoms develop. If there are known cases, we can
make sure those people are quarantined and not exposing other
individuals.
The virus has been found to spread between people up to a couple
days before people start showing symptoms. Because of this, the
number of people an infected person could unknowingly expose can be
exponential.
[Text from file received from
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