Pritzker addresses drive-thru COVID-19 testing; Bloomington site hasn’t hit testing capacity

The drive-thru site at the McLean County Fairgrounds can test 250 people per day. (Scott Miller/WJBC)

 

By Neil Doyle

BLOOMINGTON – Gov. JB Pritzker at his daily press briefing Wednesday spoke about drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites, which includes the location in Bloomington.

The drive-thru site at the McLean County Fairgrounds can test 250 people per day. On Tuesday, the site only tested 79 people and has never hit the 250 mark, according to the McLean County Emergency Management Agency.

The other drive-thru testing sites are located in Markham and Harwood Heights, with two new locations coming to Aurora and Rockford.

Meanwhile, the new COVID-19 numbers, now 35,108 cases statewide, including 1,565 deaths.

Neil Doyle can be reached at [email protected]

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year.  It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city.   Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University.   We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk.  Going to work every day for some people means…