Vol. VI No. 3
JANUARY 19, 2022
Northlake hires new police chief, PAGE 8
vfpress.news
Pop-up COVID testing sites leave patients feeling scammed
Members of CERCL administer free COVID-19 testing in Maywood in 2021. The initiative has been in operation since the beginning of the pandemic. The pace and scale of their operations have increased since then.
Local and state health departments have zero oversight authority
In year 3 of pandemic, a COVID initiative builds momentum
By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter
With the rise of COVID-19, so too came the rise of the free pop-up testing site. Offering free tests with a quick turnaround for results, the testing sites have become increasingly ubiquitous. And despite using names that would imply otherwise, the testing sites are often run by people with limited, if any, medical experience or training. Worse yet, local and state health departments have effectively zero authority over the sites to ensure the operations run efficiently. And, although the sites consistently promise a quick turnaround of test results, See TESTING POP-UPS on page 7
Proviso MLK events postponed, PAGE 6
Covid Equity Response Collaborative: Loyola has been testing, vaccinating and spreading awareness about the virus in Proviso since 2020 By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor
If you ever encounter Gwen Smith-Haney during free COVID-19 testing on Wednes-
days and Thursdays, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., at Lightford Recreation Center, 809 Madison St. in Maywood, be prepared to tell her you’re vaccinated. And if you’re not, brace for her wrath, which in her case is a mixture of warmth, charm and frank mother wit. Smith-Haney, a community liaison for the Covid Equity Response Collaborative: Loyola (CERCL), the entity that hosts the free testing, may well be the face of vaccination advocacy in Proviso Township. “I try to lay out the facts,” she said. “I don’t try to jump on them and say, ‘You have to do this, you must do this.’ I tell them they
WE’RE YOUR FINANCIAL PARTNER BECAUSE
have to make an educated decision. Don’t listen to the myths that are out there. We can get you the facts.” And CERCL, which was created in April 2020, may be the township’s best weapon in the fight to inoculate residents against the pervasive coronavirus and its manifold mutations, including Delta and Omicron. Since October, COVID-19 cases have been on the uptick across the country. In Cook County, the 7-day moving average of cases increased from around 300 on Oct. 13, 2021 to roughly 5,300 on Jan. 2, according to data See CERCL on page 5
MEET US
YOU SHOULD KNOW YOUR BANKER. Jose Villa
Vice President & Branch Manager 708-483-0030 | jvilla@hinsdalebank.com Proviso Community Bank is a branch of Hinsdale Bank & Trust Company, N.A.
1759 N. Mannheim Rd., Stone Park | 1111 Madison St., Maywood 708-483-0030 | www.provisobank.com