Oak Street Health: Free COVID-19 Rapid Testing In Chicago Heights

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, IL — Oak Street Health, a primary care centers for adults on Medicare, is now offering free rapid COVID-19 tests to Chicago residents in collaboration with the City of Chicago, according to a Friday news release.

The provider has already completed more than 2,500 tests, and is now testing anyone who wants requests it, according to the release. The test is free and no appointment is needed, regardless of symptoms, exposure, or insurance status.

"Testing remains critical to containing the spread of COVID-19 and keeping Chicagoans safe," said Christina Anderson, Deputy Commissioner, Chicago Department of Public Health in the release. "We’re grateful for Oak Street Health’s leadership and effort to broaden testing access to those who need it most. We remain committed to allocating resources and providing support to our partners who are on the front line of this pandemic, working every day to increase access to testing in communities hit the hardest."

Current testing sites are open every Monday - Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The locations include:

Oak Street Health Lincoln Crossing: 1401 Western Ave, Chicago Heights, IL 60411

Oak Street Health Hermosa: 4417 West Diversey Ave, Chicago, IL 60639

Oak Street Health Bellwood: 456 25th Ave, Bellwood, IL 60104

On Friday, Illinois reported 7,377 new cases of the coronavirus and 181 more deaths from COVID-19, bringing the statewide totals to 886,805 infections and 15,015 deaths. The vaccine began rolling out statewide this week, but according to the Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Illinois' expected shipment has been cut in half, and drug manufacturer Pfizer says millions of doses are sitting in its warehouses awaiting instructions from the federal government on where to ship them.

"The demand for COVID-19 tests is at an all-time high with cases surging and the holidays upon us," said Dr. Ali Khan, Executive Medical Director of Oak Street Health in the release. "We know how challenging access to testing is right now, and that’s especially true in Chicago’s Black and Latino communities, where the virus has already had a cruel and disproportionate impact. Oak Street Health has served the older adults in these neighborhoods for years, providing access to high-quality primary care in order to keep them healthy. We are honored to work with the City of Chicago to bring free testing to anyone who needs it, expanding access where it has been severely lacking and helping to keep our communities safe."

For more information, visit the Oak Street Health website.