The state’s mobile testing unit for COVID-19 will be coming to four places, including three high schools and a library in Lake County, over the next month.
The Lake County Health Department announced on Monday that the free coronavirus testing is coming to Deerfield, Highwood, Libertyville and Round Lake over the next month.
A mobile testing unit managed by the Illinois Department of Public Health will be stationed in the county according to the following schedule:
Libertyville High School on October 31 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Deerfield High School on November 1 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Round Lake High School on November 7 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Highwood Public Library on November 11 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (walkup only); Round Lake High School on November 21 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Highwood Public Library on November 25 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (walkup only).
Lake County surpassed 20,000 COVID-19 cases and 500 deaths last week. The recovery rate is 96.7% in the county, health officials said.
“Our thoughts are with every family battling this illness or grieving the loss of a loved one,” said Mark Pfister, Executive Director at the Lake County Health Department.
“Help care for your community by getting tested right away if you are experiencing symptoms, or 5-7 days after being exposed to an infected person and remember to stay home while waiting for your results. Identifying new cases is the start of the contact tracing process that helps to slow the spread of this disease,” Pfister said.
Those utilizing drive-thru testing must be seated in their car — except for walkup only sites — and will not be permitted to exit their vehicle once in line. All sites will also accommodate walk-up individuals.
There are also state-run community-based testing sites located at 102 West Water Street in Waukegan, 2000 West Euclid Avenue in Arlington Heights, and 1601 Parkview Avenue in Rockford, which are open seven days a week from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Testing at these sites is free and more information is available on the IDPH website.
Health officials warned that if you are told to quarantine for 14 days due to potential exposure to an infected person, a negative test result does not shorten your quarantine period.
“The virus can take up to 14 days to be detectable in the body by a test, so it is important to continue the quarantine period through 14 days while monitoring for symptoms,” health officials said.