Triad, UI partnership offering free Covid testing

Triad Community Unit School District 2 is offering free Covid PCR testing to the public through a partnership between Illinois Department of Public Health and SHIELD Illinois which utilizes federal funds.

Tests will be offered at two upcoming events. The next will be 4:30-7:30 p.m. Nov. 22 at Triad High School Library, 703 E. Highway 40. Another testing event will be held 1-4 p.m. Nov. 30 at the Triad district office, 203 E. Throp St.

All members of the community are encouraged to make an appointment online at shieldillinois.com/get-tested, though walk-ins are welcome, according to a district news release. 

Instead of a nasal swab, the Covid SHIELD test uses saliva and takes just minutes to collect. Confidential results from SHIELD Illinois are available in 24-48 hours via email.

The district is among SHIELD Illinois’ many testing partners across Illinois, including over a dozen community testing sites and more than 600 K-12 schools. The effort is part of an agreement between the University of Illinois System and the state in the ongoing effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Federal funds from the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan are being used to provide free testing through SHIELD Illinois, according to the release. 

SHIELD Illinois is the University of Illinois System’s in-state, non-profit COVID-testing unit that uses the saliva-based PCR Covid SHIELD test developed at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 

For more information, please visit shieldillinois.com.