Walk-Up Coronavirus Testing Coming To Highwood

Jonah Meadows
·3 min read

WAUKEGAN, IL — Free coronavirus testing will be available at the Highwood Public Library and several other locations in the coming weeks as the Illinois Department of Public Health's mobile testing unit comes to Lake County.

The COVID-19 testing unit will first be stationed at Libertyville High School Saturday. On Sunday, it heads to Deerfield High School. On two Wednesdays next month, the Highwood Public Library will host a walk-up only testing site. (Full schedule below)

“Last week, Lake County surpassed 20,000 cases and tragically, 500 deaths from COVID-19. Our thoughts are with every family battling this illness or grieving the loss of a loved one,” Mark Pfister, executive director of the Lake County Health Department, said in a statement.

Testing is available to everyone, regardless of symptoms, while supplies last. A name and phone number are collected to provide the results. Identification and proof of insurance are helpful but not mandatory.

“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," Pfister said. "Identifying new cases is the start of the contact tracing process that helps to slow the spread of this disease.”

State run community-based COVID-19 testing sites in Waukegan at 102 W. Water St. and in Arlington Heights, at 2000 W. Euclid Ave., are open for free testing seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Testing is also available from various private health care companies. Residents without a health care provider or insurance may contact the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center for an appointment by calling 847-377-8800.

The IDPH mobile testing site uses a nasal swab for its viral testing, also know as polymerase chain reaction or PCR testing. Viral testing is most accurate and provides results within a few days.

As of Friday, Lake County had 20,071 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 508 confirmed deaths for a 42-day survival rate of 96.7 percent.

Of those that have died with COVID-19 in Lake County where data was available, 426 of them have been over the age of 60, and 326 of then have been at long-term care facilities with two or more confirmed cases, according to the Lake County Health Department.

Full schedule:

Libertyville High School
708 W. Park Ave., Libertyville
Saturday, Oct. 31, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Deerfield High School
1959 Waukegan Road, Deerfield
Sunday, Nov. 1, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Round Lake High School
800 High School Drive, Round Lake
Saturday, Nov. 7, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Highwood Public Library (Walk-Up Only)
102 Highwood Ave., Highwood
Wednesday, Nov. 11, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Round Lake High School
800 High School Drive, Round Lake
Saturday, Nov. 21, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Highwood Public Library (Walk-Up Only)
102 Highwood Ave., Highwood
Wednesday, Nov. 25, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

This article originally appeared on the Highland Park Patch