Whiteside County to offer weekly free COVID-19 antigen tests

ROCK FALLS – Free rapid-result COVID-19 testing will be offered from 8 a.m. to noon Fridays for the rest of the month at the Whiteside County Community Health Clinic drive-thru at 1300 W. Second St.

Tests are free and no appointments are necessary.

It’s part of the Whiteside County Health Department’s “Know Before You Go” campaign to find as many positive cases before the weekend so staff can intervene quickly and stop coronavirus from spreading.

Antigen tests will be used to provide same-day results.

“Together, we can work as a community to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 through testing, rapid identification of positive cases, isolation and quarantine,” the department said in a news release.

Participants will be called with results by the end of the day they test. As antigen tests are not as reliable for confirming someone is truly negative, notes will only be provided for individuals who test positive.

Re-testing is not recommended for those who have tested positive in the last 90 days.

Rachel Rodgers

Rachel Rodgers

Rachel Rodgers joined Sauk Valley Media in 2016 covering local government in Dixon and Lee County.