Wisconsin National Guard conducts free COVID-19 testing at 2 Milwaukee sites
MILWAUKEE -- Free COVID-19 testing began Monday morning, May 11 in Milwaukee for anyone who wants to know if they've contracted the coronavirus. No appointment is needed -- and you don't even have to be showing symptoms to take advantage. The Wisconsin National Guard will be conducting testing at two sites in the city for 12 hours a day, seven days a week.
Testing will be offered on Milwaukee's north and south sides -- at the Midtown parking lot near 57th Street and Capitol Drive, and at UMOS on S. Chase Avenue near Rosedale Avenue. Testing will take place between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. seven days a week, and again, you do not need to make an appointment, and do not need to be showing symptoms of the coronavirus to be tested.
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Joe Trovato
"We currently have 15 specimen collection teams that are operating all throughout Wisconsin, and that number is growing to 25 in the next couple of days," said Joe Trovato, captain of the Wisconsin National Guard during a news conference Sunday afternoon.
The nasal swab takes minutes, and officials urged those with symptoms who work in public-facing jobs, or who live and work in places where there's been a confirmed case to go get tested.
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Mayor Tom Barrett
"It can present in different ways, and we would stress to people that if you've talked to your health care provider and you are symptomatic, this is going to be an opportunity, obviously, to come and receive free testing at one of these community-based sites," said Dr. Nick Tomaro with the Milwaukee Health Department.
"We need you, the public, to be part of this as well, as we fight this pandemic," said Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. "The whole goal here is the more we can ramp up the testing, the more we believe that we can quickly get our life back to normal. That's the goal for all us, to get our life back to normal as quickly as possible."
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Wisconsin National Guard teams, comprised of more than 500 citizen soldiers and airmen in total, established mobile testing sites at locations ranging from correctional facilities and health clinics, to private businesses and community-based testing sites like those in Milwaukee.
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Citizen Soldiers from the Wisconsin National Guard conduct COVID-19 testing at the Waukesha County Expo Center in Waukesha, Wis., May 9. The Wisconsin National Guard has 15 specimen collection teams operational and supporting communities across Wisco
A news release Saturday, May 9 listed the following specimen collection sites with ongoing operations:
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Citizen Soldiers from the Wisconsin National Guard conduct COVID-19 testing at the Waukesha County Expo Center in Waukesha, Wis., May 9. The Wisconsin National Guard has 15 specimen collection teams operational and supporting communities across Wisco
The release listed the following previously concluded missions:
As of May 8, Wisconsin National Guard teams had collected nearly 12,000 specimens statewide.