Illinois Continues to Expand Availability of Free COVID-19 Testing

SPRINGFIELD - Increasing COVID-19 testing capabilities in the State of Illinois continues to be an operational priority during the state's response to this ongoing pandemic. Today, the State is announcing a new drive-thru COVID-19 testing facility will be open to the public in the coming days.

The latest Community Based Testing Site (CBTS) will open in Waukegan on Sunday, May 3. Similar to the five additional Community Based Testing Sites throughout the state, the Waukegan site will be open seven days a week to test individuals with COVID-19 symptoms and those who support critical services.

"By bringing COVID-19 testing into communities free of charge, we are to make testing more readily available and easier to access," said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. "Testing is essential to identify the prevalence of virus circulating in our communities. Through widespread testing, we can make science-based decisions that will help us end this pandemic."

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)
• Individuals with compromised immune systems, chronic medical conditions

Definition of Symptoms
-Fever, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell

Community Based Testing Sites

Harwood Heights
7:00am - 3:00pm
while daily supplies last

6959 W. Forest Preserve Road
Chicago IL

Bloomington
9:00am - 5:00pm
while daily supplies last

1106 Interstate Drive
Bloomington IL

Markham
8:00am - 4:00pm
while daily supplies last

3824 W.159th Place
Markham IL

Aurora
8:00am - 4:00pm
while daily supplies last

1650 Premium Outlet Blvd
Aurora IL

Rockford
8:00am - 4:00pm
while daily supplies last

1601 Parkview Avenue
Rockford IL

Waukegan
(Opens May 3)
8:00am - 4:00pm
while daily supplies last

2161 Northwestern Avenue
Waukegan, IL

"Expanded testing for Lake County residents provides our Health Department with more information to help us get a better understanding of COVID-19's impact on our communities," said Mark Pfister, Executive Director of the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center. "Our dedicated Communicable Disease team is ready to complement the increase in tests with thorough contact tracing to identify and prevent additional cases in Lake County. Having a more complete picture of this crisis will improve our response and plans for recovery."

"We know how important this test site is to our residents, and Lake County is proud to be a part of the collaboration between the National Guard, the State of Illinois and the City of Waukegan, to bring this much needed testing to our community" said Lake County Chair Sandy Hart.

"I want to thank the many federal, state and local partners for working together to provide COVID-19 testing for the residents of Waukegan and Lake County," said Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham. "We are a community of essential workers and we urgently need everyone's assistance in the fight against COVID-19. Waukegan thanks Governor Pritzker and Dr. Ezike for advocating for our health and well-being with this access to testing."

Know Before You Go
Anyone who will be tested 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, the drive-thru sites will not be able to accommodate walk-up individuals. Individuals must arrive in a vehicle.

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.

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.

For additional information related to COVID-19, please visit www.dph.illinois.gov You can also get your COVID-19 questions answered at any time of day by calling the COVID-19 hotline at 1-800-889-3931. You can also email you questions to DPH.Sick@Illinois.gov.