Mobile COVID-19 Testing Offered in Zion and North Chicago

LCHD 2017

 

 

 

For Immediate Release
Date: August 31, 2020
Media Email: COVIDmedia@lakecountyil.gov
Media Phone: 847-377-2001
General Inquiries: COVID19@lakecountyil.gov

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Mobile COVID-19 Testing Offered in Zion and North Chicago

Mobile-testing-September-2020

Lake County, Ill. — The Lake County Health Department is announcing that a mobile testing site managed by the Illinois Department of Public Health will be stationed in northeast Lake County this week to provide free Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) tests to the community.

The site will be stationed in Zion and North Chicago on the following days:

Tuesday, September 1, 2020, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Lakeview Elementary School 
2200 Bethesda Boulevard, Zion, IL 60099

Thursday, September 3, 2020, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Zion Central Middle School         
1716 27th Street, Zion, IL 60099

Saturday and Sunday, September 5-6, 2020, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
North Chicago High School  
1717 17th St, North Chicago, IL 60064

“Due to ongoing community spread of COVID-19 in Lake County, we continue to advise all close contacts of COVID-19 cases, as well as people who have attended large or crowded gatherings to get tested,” said Dr. Sana Ahmed, Medical Epidemiologist for the Lake County Health Department. “If you have no symptoms, it is best to wait 5-7 days to get tested after your exposure to an infected person, since the virus can take several days before it can be detected in the body. If you have symptoms, however, please seek testing right away and call your doctor.”

Know Before You Go

Testing is free and open to all regardless of symptoms. A phone number and name are required in order to receive testing results. Photo identification and proof of insurance are helpful, but not required. High demand for testing may result in long wait times.

Those utilizing drive-thru testing must be seated at a functioning window. Once you get in line at the site, you will not be permitted to exit your car. All sites will also accommodate walk-up individuals. Only viral testing is provided at the mobile testing site. Testing results are provided over the phone in 4-7 days.

Other testing options

State-run Community-Based Testing Sites, located in Waukegan (102 W. Water St.) and Arlington Heights (Arlington International Racecourse, 2000 W Euclid Ave.) are open 7 days a week from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Testing at these sites is free. For more information, visit the IDPH website at https://dph.illinois.gov/covid19/covid-19-testing-sites.

Many healthcare providers in Lake County also have COVID-19 testing available. Please contact your provider or the facility to ask about testing criteria and appointment availability. Anyone without a healthcare provider or insurance can contact the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center for an appointment at (847) 377-8800.

Types of Testing

Viral (polymerase chain reaction or PCR) testing, commonly done with a nasal swab, is used to detect a current COVID-19 infection. This is the only type of test offered at the IDPH mobile testing site and at state-run Community-Based Testing Sites.

Antigen (nucleic acid amplification test or NAAT) testing, done via nasal swab or saliva sample, is a rapid test used to identify current COVID-19 infection. Results are available in as little as 15 minutes, but antigen tests may be less sensitive than a PCR test. This means an antigen test is more likely to produce a false negative test result, especially if the person who is tested has no symptoms.

Antibody (serology) testing, a blood test, might tell you if you had a past infection and may not detect current COVID-19 infection, so it is NOT an appropriate test for someone who is currently in quarantine for potential COVID-19 exposure.

If you are told to quarantine for 14 days due to a potential exposure to an infected person, a negative COVID-19 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.

Additional Information:

The Lake County Health Department reported Lake County’s first COVID-19 case on March 11, 2020. As of August 28, 2020, 14,394 Lake County residents have tested positive for the disease, including 443 deaths. For more details, please visit the Coronavirus Data Hub, which is updated daily Mondays through Fridays at https://www.lakecountyil.gov/COVID19data.

Visit the Health Department’s Coronavirus web page, www.lakecountyil.gov/coronavirus, for updates, testing information, community guidance and resources, answers to frequently asked questions, and to sign up for the Health Department’s weekly COVID-19 newsletter. General questions can be sent via email to covid19@lakecountyil.gov.

For trusted information on the COVID-19 pandemic from reputable state and federal sources, visit the State of IllinoisIllinois Department of Public Health, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) websites.

 

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Lake County Health Department
3010 Grand Avenue
Waukegan, Illinois 60085
(847) 377-8000