Congressman LaHood: “This is the model” as McLean County testing site continues through May

Posted on April 9, 2020
Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for Region V Doug O’Brien (far left) National Guard General Richard Neely (second from the left) and Congressmen Rodney Davis (middle) and Darin LaHood (right) announced the McLean County COVID-19 testing site will continue through May. (Photo courtesy: Blake Haas/WJBC)

By Blake Haas

BLOOMINGTON – With over 1,200 people tested at the McLean County Fairgrounds, two Central Illinois congressmen announced the COVID-19 testing site would continue through May.

“This is the model really across the state and the nation for what we should be doing,” Darin LaHood, U.S. Representative for Illinois’ 18th District said. “One thing that I would say is getting those test results back quicker is something that we continue to work on. But you look at the progress we’ve made just over the last four weeks here (it) continues to get better and better. I think we will continue to work on that.”

The drive-thru site remains open to Illinois residents who meet the testing guidelines set by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“This is a great announcement; this is one of those days where we get to talk about a Federal investment and how we have been working in a bi-partisan way in Washington to ensure that a facility like this which as Congressman LaHood said ‘is the model,'” Rodney Davis, U.S. Representative for Illinois’ 13th District added. “…This process we’ve seen the demand go up, and we’ve seen the demand go down, but we’ve also seen the evolutionary technology that has been evolving since the fight begin.”

Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for Region V, Doug O’Brien, said he’s proud of the work that the 50 National Guard troops have done at the testing site.

“We have been working with the state of Illinois ceaseless on this project, and I have to say what the Illinois Department of Public Health, what the Illinois National Guard in collaboration with the United State Public Health Service and her what the McLean County Public Health Department have put together is nothing but a national model.”

McLean County Communication Specialist Dion McNeal (left) and National Guard General Richard Neely (right). (Photo courtesy: Blake Haas/WJBC)

During his daily press briefing, Gov. Pritzker announced 1,344 new cases of COVID-19, with 66 additional deaths moving the state total to 16,422 confirmed cases with 528 deaths.

Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].

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