300 people tested for COVID-19 at new drive-through site in Wheaton
A new COVID-19 testing site opened Tuesday at the DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton with more than 200 vehicles driving through in a span of eight hours.
The first day of operations collected samples from 300 people in 218 vehicles checking to see whether they currently have the coronavirus, according to DuPage County Health Department spokesman Don Bolger.
The site has the capacity to conduct 400 tests a day. DuPage residents can access it through the main entrance of the county government complex off County Farm Road. The Manchester Road entrance will stay closed.
Residents don't need an appointment, doctor referral or insurance to receive a free test. Hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, or until testing capacity is reached.
"Anyone can be tested regardless of whether they have symptoms or not," DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin said during a county board meeting last week.
All the tests are self-administered. Testing personnel give each person a nasal swab and directions through their car window. They then must swab their own nose without leaving their vehicle.
The county opened the site as DuPage has recorded 8,501 confirmed cases and at least 431 deaths from COVID-19.