Getting A COVID Test In Illinois Is Harder For Some Than Others

As Illinois continues to shatter testing records, some residents are still finding access to a test is easier said than done.

By Meha Ahmad
Free Chicago COVID testing site
The lines at free testing sites run by the Chicago and Illinois public health departments are backing up for blocks, with people waiting sometimes hours for a test. Manuel Martinez / WBEZ
Free Chicago COVID testing site
The lines at free testing sites run by the Chicago and Illinois public health departments are backing up for blocks, with people waiting sometimes hours for a test. Manuel Martinez / WBEZ

Getting A COVID Test In Illinois Is Harder For Some Than Others

As Illinois continues to shatter testing records, some residents are still finding access to a test is easier said than done.

By Meha Ahmad
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The Illinois Department of Public Health says it has administered between 90,000 and more than 100,000 COVID tests a day in recent weeks.

And yet, for some residents, getting a test is easier said than done.

Reservations for tests book up fast, results can take days (or even weeks in some areas), and requirements for who gets a test vary from provider to provider. All this leads to Illinois residents going to some lengths to get access to testing.

Reset explores this issue.

GUEST: Kristen Schorsch, WBEZ Cook County reporter