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The COVID-19 Testing Center at Innovative Express Care in the Lincoln Park neighborhood on April 27. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

SOUTH SHORE — The Mile Square Health Center in South Shore is now testing all symptomatic South Siders for coronavirus as the program expands beyond existing Mile Square patients.

The University of Illinois Health clinic, 7037 S. Stony Island Ave., can provide up to 30 tests per day to members of the public. The clinic will offer testing by appointment only from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

People can schedule an appointment by calling 866-600-2273 or visit by visiting the UI Health website for more information. Test results will be available in one to two days.

“We are proud to respond to the needs of the South Shore community and to play an active role in addressing COVID-19 disparities,” said Ian Jasenof, chief medical officer of UI Health Mile Square Health Center.

In addition to the expanded testing, Mile Square will begin a home monitoring program for individuals who test positive.

“Follow-up and monitoring of COVID-19 progression is just as important as testing,” Jasenof said. “We still do not know why some people with COVID-19 have mild illness, while others have severe and life-threatening illness. This monitoring process was developed to make sure that if people do become severely ill, they have resources in place to get help quickly.”

The clinic’s ability to test 30 patients per day is “a good first start,” Ald. Leslie Hairston (5th) said in a statement, adding that she hopes the number can increase with additional resources.

“I welcome Mile Square’s capacity to start testing in [South] Shore, which is one of the communities hardest hit by the pandemic,” she said.  

Testing through the UI Health system is also available at its drive-up testing center at 1220 S. Wood St. and the Pilsen COVID-19 evaluation clinic at 1713 S. Ashland Ave. UI Health testing centers can process about 150 tests each day.

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