Free COVID Tests For Vulnerable Illinois ZIP Codes From IDPH

Jeff Arnold
Updated ·2 min read

CHICAGO — Illinois residents living in vulnerable areas of 14 counties, including four in the greater Chicago area, have access to 225,000 free rapid COVID-19 at-home tests kits that are being offered through the Illinois Department of Public Health, the agency announced Friday.

Residents who reside in certain zip codes of Cook, Will, DuPage and Lake counties are eligible to receive the free COVID-19 tests, which are being offered on a first-come, first-served basis, state health officials said. Residents may check to see if they are eligible by entering their zip code into AccessCovidTests.org to sign up for free delivery.

Each eligible household will receive five free tests and will get the tests within 1-2 weeks of ordering them. There will be a limit of one free test kit (containing the five tests) during the initial distribution phase, officials said.

“Testing is still a critical component for slowing transmission of COVID-19 and helping prevent further infections,” IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said in a news release on Friday. “With readily available at-home testing, individuals can find out very quickly if they are positive and take action to isolate for five days while alerting those with whom they had close contact that they should also test. Readily available tests can help us chart a course for the new normal and help us learn how to coexist with COVID-19.”

Health officials determined the initial eligibility for the test kits by using the Social Vulnerability Index, which uses 14 social factors in the areas of socioeconomic status, size of household and disability, along with minority status, language and housing and transportation, the health department said.

The rapid, self-administered testing has potential to disrupt the spread of COVID-19 that occurs when people are infected, but don’t yet have symptoms, health officials said. These free COVID-19 tests have been given emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and can be used at home. Tests require a quick swab inside each nostril and results can be read in just minutes.

This article originally appeared on the Chicago Patch