Area and local health centers will receive funding to expand their capacity for coronavirus testing from the Department of Health and Human Services. The grant is in response to coronavirus related legislation passed into law earlier this month. Congresswoman Cheri Bustos said “Adequate testing capacity is essential in our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and we must ensure that anyone who needs a test has access to one.” The Knox County Health Department and the Henderson County Rural Health Department will each receive $163,669 and $162,424 respectively. The Heartland Community Health Clinic in Peoria will receive $432,139. Whiteside County Health Department and the Crusaders Central Clinic in Rockford will also receive funding for testing expansion ($295,969 in Whitside, $968,599 in Rockford). More than $2 million in federal funding was granted overall. Bustos has been raising the importance of testing capacity since February.
