(The Center Square) – The state of Illinois has now administered over one million COVID-19 tests.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker made the announcement during an appearance Friday at a testing site in Peoria.
“This milestone is the result of the incredible work of so many people behind the scenes in state government, in our national guard, in our public and private hospitals all around the state, but I am very proud to be one of the earliest states to hit this one million landmark,” Pritzker said.
Illinois recently opened its community-based testing sites to anyone, regardless of symptoms. As a result, the governor urged people to get tested, especially if they have been around a mass gathering.
“I especially encourage anyone who has been out recently in large gatherings like the protest marches over the last week to take advantage of our testing capacity,” Pritzker said.
There are now a total of 279 public sites to access tests in Illinois. Of the 279, 108 are Federally Qualified Health Centers.
“As we move forward, COVID-19 testing must be widely available and this is a step in the right direction,” Illinois Emergency Management Agency Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau said. “The state-operated community-based testing sites currently have the capacity to test more than 6,000 people per day, and now there will be no restrictions to who can be tested for the virus.”
A list of public and private testing sites can be found on the IDPH website.
