No appointment needed, no referral needed, and no insurance needed.
During the spread of COVID-19, a lack of testing and tracing was a prevalent problem for much of the year. For some time Chicago only encouraged people who had symptoms or those who had come into contact with someone who tested positive to get tested because of limited supplies. Now, another free test site has emerged in the heart of the Loop and any Chicagoan can get a standard RT-PCR test absolutely free and a rapid test for $50 with no insurance is required.
8 Hospitality, the hospitality company behind Chicago’s Joy District and Old Grounds Social, have launched a free Covid-19 testing site at 170 W Washington in the Loop. There are no appointments needed, the site will only accept walk-ups and tests will be administered on-site between 8 am and 8 pm every day.
Neither insurance nor a referral are required to take the test, anybody can merely walk up and wait their turn and then receive results within 20 minutes of a rapid test and within 72 hours of an RT-PCR test. While the standard RT-PCR test is completely free, the resources needed for rapid testing mean that there is a $50 charge but the speed and price are still second to none. Both cash and card are accepted on location. A valid form of identification is required and you’ll need to fill out a COVID-19 Request Form so that the site has your name and contact information.
All results, positive or negative, will be reported to Lab Elite Clinical Services and health and safety measures will, of course, be enforced on site! You can contact the organizers here.
See more: Five Of Chicago’s Frontline Medical Workers Have Officially Received The Covid-19 Vaccine At Loretto Hospital
[Featured image from Shutterstock]