Peoria Standard

In a July 1 Facebook post, Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) thanked the staff of Illinois State University for helping to implement SHIELD COVID-19 testing.

"I would like to take the time to recognize the staff who helped implement SHIELD COVID-19 testing at Illinois State University, thank you all for allowing the students to return to the classroom safely," Barickman posted.

The university is in the process of updating its on-campus COVID-19 testing program. It is providing self-administered rapid antigen COVID-19 tests at on-campus testing sites. As of July 5, only current students, faculty, and staff who are not fully vaccinated will remain eligible to participate in on-campus COVID-19 testing. 

 According to a frequently asked question on the university's website, only COVID-19 tests performed at any licensed testing facility are acceptable. An over-the-counter at home test does not meet requirements.

Illinois State's lab is part of the SHIELD Illinois network and conducts PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests on saliva samples from the university community along with local community colleges, and school districts. During Omicron's peak in January 2022, ISU's lab operated from 6 a.m.–4 a.m. each weekday to process as many as 13,600 tests daily and a record-high 55,000 in one week, according to Distinguished Professor of Neurobiology Dr. Paul Garris.