- Credibility:
CHICAGO — Illinois has now done more than 1 million coronavirus tests, officials announced Friday.
In all, clinics around Illinois have performed 1,000,919 tests, according to state data. Gov. JB Pritzker has said testing is a key part of battling the coronavirus, as it helps officials track where outbreaks are occurring.
Testing got off to a slow start in Illinois — and throughout the United States — but it’s ramped up in recent days and 18,903 more tests were reported in the last 24 hours.
The state only counts diagnostic tests — not antibody tests — in its data, officials have said.
So far, only four other states have done more than 1 million tests: New York, California, Texas and Florida.
“This milestone is the result of the incredible work of so many people behind the scenes in state government, in our National Guard, in our public and private hospital and healthcare systems all around the state — people who were willing to battle it out to build out a testing infrastructure that is accurate, efficient and accessible,” Gov. JB Pritzker said in a Friday press release. “And we’re still building — but I’m very proud to be one of the earliest states to hit this landmark.”
In the last day, another 1,156 people tested positive for coronavirus. The state’s total is now 125,915 people, though many of them have recovered.
And another 59 people died from coronavirus in the last day. In all, the state has lost 5,795 to the virus.
Illinois has now made it so anyone can get a coronavirus test at state-run sites.
Officials have encouraged people who attended protests or recent gatherings to get tested.
Here’s the state’s list of testing sites.
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