Beginning Tuesday, May 19, 2020, the Wisconsin National Guard has expanded the hours for the Dane County community testing site for COVID-19. Previously, testing was available Monday through Saturday from 8:00am – 4:00pm. Hours have been expanded on Tuesdays and Thursdays to be open until 8:00pm.
Free testing is available to all Dane County residents 5 years and older who can arrive by car, bike, or on foot. No appointment is necessary. Translation is available in Spanish and Hmong.
Free transportation is available for those that need it by calling the Public Health Transportation Line at (608) 243-0420.
Testing is being conducted in the New Holland Pavilion at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. The new hours are:
- Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, from 8:00am – 4:00pm, and
- Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:00 am – 8:00pm.
*The testing site will be closed on Monday, May 25, 2020, for the Memorial Day holiday.
The testing site will be open until at least June 6, 2020. Depending on utilization, this date could be extended.
Those who drive up will remain in their car the entire time. Using the Exact Sciences test, Wisconsin National Guard staff collect specimens.
The test is not an antibody test and does not indicate if someone has had COVID-19 in the past. Test results are provided via phone call within 3-5 days.
“ In less than a week, over 2, 765 people have been tested at the Alliant Energy Center and we hope that these expanded hours will allow more people access to testing,” said Janel Heinrich, Director of Public Health Madison & Dane County. “Having this resource available in our community is an important step in understanding and controlling the spread of disease. We encourage everyone who wants a test to be tested.”
“It’s important to understand that, if you have a negative result after being tested, you should not assume that you can relax the prevention measures you’ve been doing, such as frequent hand washing, covering your coughs and sneezes, social distancing, and staying home as much as possible” said Heinrich. “This test is a snapshot in time, and we know that COVID-19 is circulating in our community. A negative test result doesn’t meant let your guard down,” continues Heinrich.
For more information and answers to questions about the community testing site, visit publichealthmdc.com/coronavirustesting.
