Community Corner
Chicago To Add 6 New Coronavirus Test Sites In Hardest Hit Areas
Actor Sean Penn's CORE organization will partner with city in embedding test sites in Chicago's Latino and African American communities.
CHICAGO — Chicago officials will partner with film actor Sean Penn’s humanitarian organization Community Organized Relief Organization, or CORE, and Curative-Korva to bring six new coronavirus test sites aimed primarily at the city’s black and Latino neighborhoods.
CORE is currently providing free COVID-19 testing throughout California and in Atlanta, Georgia. Five community test sites will be embedded within Chicago’s Latino and African American communities, where testing is most needed, to serve symptomatic residents. New test sites are slated for Maria Saucedo Scholastic Academy in Little Village, Dr. Jorge Prieto Math and Science Academies in Hanson Park, Kennedy-King College in Englewood, Senka Park in Gage Park and Gately Park in Pullman.
Illinois Coronavirus Update May 11: 79,007 Cases, 3,459 Deaths — Don't miss local and statewide news about coronavirus developments and precautions — Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.
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A test site is also being put into place in the parking lot of the Chicago White Sox’s Guaranteed Rate Field, specifically to serve asymptomatic first responders, health care and other essential workers on the front lines of the pandemic.
Lightfoot said the new sites would increase the city’s current rate of 3,000 tests per day to 10,000 per day by the end of the month.
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“As we look toward Chicago’s gradual re-opening, a crucial piece will be increased testing so that we can better understand COVID-19 and know when to safely move to the next phase,” the mayor said in a statement.
The city is currently in phase 2 of its reopening plan, which has residents staying home and social distancing, Lightfoot said at Monday’s news conference. Reaching the point where the city’s businesses and public places can be reopened is dependent upon reassurances that the Chicago’s health care system can handle a potential case surge and adequate testing and contact-tracing to track and limit the spread of the disease.
“Reaching that point will only happen when the data and science allow for it,” Lightfoot said.
As of Sunday, Chicago accounted for 30,921 of Illinois's 79,007 cases and 1,356 of the state's 3,459 COVID-19 related deaths.
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