The testing criteria were loosened Sunday after a lower-than-expected turnout for the first day of drive-up COVID-19 testing in Bloomington, officials said.
People no longer need to have a temperature of 100.4 or higher to be tested. As of Sunday, these four groups can be tested:
- Seniors (65+) with respiratory symptoms
- Patients with underlying medical conditions with respiratory symptoms
- Healthcare workers with respiratory symptoms
- First responders with respiratory symptoms
Just 80 people were tested for COVID-19 on Saturday during the first day of Bloomington's drive-up testing site. The low turnout was well under the 250-test daily capacity for the site at the McLean County Fairgrounds (Interstate Center). The testing site is open every day (including Sunday) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Another 70 people had been tested Sunday as of 4 p.m., state officials told WGLT.
Regional Director O'Brien joined @SenBillBrady and the @IL_Natl_Guard today to visit a new #COVID19 #testing site being stood up at the fairgrounds in @McLeanCoIL #Illinois. More sites are being established across the country in partnership with @HHSGov, @fema and the states. pic.twitter.com/BTNJCoAQxf
— HHS Region 5 (@HHSRegion5) March 29, 2020
One reason for Saturday's turnout could be the restrictive criteria, as well as confusion about whether they had changed. Those criteria have now been loosened.
The testing criteria are set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as it's an HHS-support testing site.
Officials say there is no residency restriction at the state-run site, so you don't have to be a McLean County resident to visit.
Patients will be contacted with their results within three to five days. The specimens are sent to private labs (run by LabCorp and Quest).
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