UW-Parkside Joins System Campuses in Offering Free COVID Testing
Sign up online; testing available at the Sports and Activity Center
The University of Wisconsin-Parkside has joined with UW System campuses and federal and state partners to offer new COVID-19 “rapid-results” testing to UWP students, faculty, and staff, as well as the surrounding community.
“Starting this week anyone in the UW-Parkside and surrounding community can sign up and get tested for free,” said UW-Parkside Chancellor Deborah Ford. “With the recent increases in COVID cases in Wisconsin, we want to do our part to try and flatten that curve and we think this new testing will help do that.”
The “surge testing” effort was announced by UW System Interim President Tommy Thompson last week. Approximately 250,000 tests have been made available to all UW campuses and will help amplify testing already occurring at UW-Parkside and other universities.
“Our universities are perfectly positioned to help Wisconsin combat the spread of COVID-19,” Thompson said. “This is the Wisconsin Idea in action, and a recognition of our existing work to keep our students, faculty, and staff as safe as possible during the pandemic. This surge testing plan is a terrific example of cooperation by the federal, state, and local governments to urgently respond to the outbreak and that UW System is pleased to lead.”
In partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), this is the first time a federal surge testing operation will use Abbott BinaxNOW rapid point-of-care tests that provide a result within 15 minutes. The testing provides additional temporary federal support to areas that have seen a recent spike in coronavirus cases.
The new tests are being administered daily by eTrueNorth, under contract with the federal government, at the Sports and Activity Center from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday – Thursday and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Individuals are strongly encouraged to register in advance for a free test at www.doineedacovid19test.com, proceed to the Sports and Activity Center (wear masks upon entering the facility), administer the test themselves under supervision, and label it for processing.
Participants retrieve results by logging into the COVID test portal after receiving an email that informs them that their results are ready.
Individuals do not have to be experiencing symptoms or be a close contact of someone with COVID-19 to get a test.
The state Department of Health Services will be supplying an additional 30,000 PCR tests as part of the effort. Individuals who test negative using the BinaxNOW 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.
“Our Parkside community has done a great job wearing their masks, washing their hands and watching their distance,” said Chancellor Ford. “We’re now asking everyone to not only keep up the good work but come to campus and get tested.”
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Media Contact:
Andrew Savagian
Communications Director
University of Wisconsin-Parkside
900 Wood Road Kenosha, WI 53144
savagian@uwp.edu