Exposed to COVID-19? 'Quarantine' and test '3-5 days after'

MILWAUKEE - After a busy Thanksgiving holiday weekend, the Miller Park COVID-19 testing site saw more than 1,000 people Monday, Nov. 30 -- a day of the week that's normally the busiest.

During one of the most hectic travel seasons of the year, the traffic wasn't on the roads Monday, Nov. 30. Instead, cars were lined up at Miller Park for COVID-19 testing.

"If you do think you had a close contact exposure, please quarantine, self-isolate, and monitor closely for symptoms and seek appropriate testing," said Dr. Nick Tomaro with the Milwaukee Health Department.

The Miller Park testing site saw more than 1,000 on Monday -- a number health officials said could go up as people return from Thanksgiving gatherings.

Dr. Nick Tomaro

"This is why we’re struggling with this virus," said Dr. Tomaro.

Dr. Tomaro, the preparedness coordinator with the Milwaukee Health Department, said people should be tested 3 to 5 days after exposure, or if they are experiencing symptoms.

"If you test the first one to two days, you likely would have a false negative, or likely would be negative even if you would have a positive test," said Dr. Tomaro.

He encouraged people to avoid large gatherings on Christmas, and stay at home.

"We all want to be with our family and friends on these holidays, but we really have to stick to those smaller groups and nuclear families," said Dr. Tomaro. "The surge on top of the surge is what we’re worried about." 

The Miller Park site is one of three free Milwaukee testing site, and it's now open on Saturdays.