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A temporary drive-up COVID-19 testing site will be at Woodstock North High School next week.
The testing, which was organized by the McHenry County Department of Health and the state of Illinois, will take place 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday at the school, which is located at 3000 Raffel Road in Woodstock.
Testing is open to all, regardless of symptoms, and no appointment is needed, according to a news release.
The test, which consists of a simple nasal swab, is free. Those who have insurance are asked to bring their card, according to the McHenry County health department.
Those tested will be called in four to seven days with the results, according to the release.
The county has seen fewer people getting COVID-19 tests, as it’s likely that only symptomatic people are getting tested, Public Health Administrator Melissa Adamson said during a McHenry County Board Committee of the Whole meeting this week. She said she hopes the mobile testing unit will lead to more people getting tested.
People could misunderstand their allergy-like symptoms and COVID-19 symptoms, Adamson said, as it can be hard to tell the difference between the two.
“People may just say, ‘Oh, I’m sure that’s just allergies, and I’m not gonna go get tested,’ ” she said.
Overall, she said, the county’s metrics are stable, and while residents may see some increases, a few days later, they may come down.
The only metric in the county that meets the state’s warning criteria is the number of cases per 100,000 residents, Adamson said Thursday. The county had 79 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people and an average of 35 to 36 cases a day.
“We do see some fluctuations in daily testing,” Adamson said.
Although the county’s metrics are within the target set by the state, this can easily change, Adamson said.
“We want to still encourage people to get tested, encourage people to social distance, encourage people to wear the masks, wash your hands,” Adamson said. “All those same messages are the same right now.”