UW-W Offering Free Rapid COVID-19 testing for community members beginning Mon., Nov. 9; Preregistration required

(UW-W Press Release, Nov. 4) — Beginning Monday, Nov. 9, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will serve as a COVID-19 testing site for the greater community. Anyone 5 years and older can get a test.

“We have a longstanding mission to serve the region, and during this public health crisis, UW-Whitewater stands ready to offer its expertise, its resources, its venues and the talents of its caring employees to assist in the fight against COVID-19,” said Chancellor Dwight C. Watson. “With the virus surging across Wisconsin, testing is a critical component to stopping the spread. We want people to know that the Warhawk family is here to help, and in the spirit of our great university, we always pull together in the most challenging times.”

The testing site is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, at the Kris Russell Volleyball Arena in the Williams Center, 907 W. Schwager Dr., Whitewater, WI 53190. Free parking is available in lots 7 and 9 on Warhawk Drive. Please note, during Thanksgiving week, testing will be offered Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday only (Nov. 23-25), 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Pre-registration is required at doineedacovid19test.com. This is a rapid antigen test (nasal swab). People will receive their results within 15 minutes; space is set aside for people to safely distance while they wait.

Individuals who test negative using the rapid antigen test, but also are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, or who test positive but do not have symptoms, are urged to get a confirmatory PCR test. A free PCR test will be available immediately to those who qualify on site.

Community testing at UW-Whitewater is possible due to a new University of Wisconsin System “surge testing” initiative, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

This program complements an already existing partnership between UW-Whitewater, UW System and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to regularly test university students, which began earlier this semester. UW-Whitewater students will continue to get their COVID-19 tests through University Health and Counseling Services at Ambrose Health Center on Starin Road by making an appointment at uww.edu/uhcs.

For more information on COVID-19 testing at UW-Whitewater, visit uww.edu/warhawks-return/testing.