Wisconsin National Guard: Continues COVID-19 testing throughout the state

MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin National Guard specimen collection teams continue supporting local COVID-19 testing efforts this week as they operate a number of regional community-based testing sites. All Guard testing sites will be closed Monday in observance of President’s Day.

Teams have collected a cumulative total of over one million specimens since April 2020 at community-based testing sites and institutional-based testing missions. The Wisconsin National Guard’s collection activities support the Wisconsin Department of Health Service’s efforts to expand COVID-19 testing throughout the entire state.

The teams, which are tailorable to meet the needs of a specific facility or community, are dispatched from a larger task force of several hundred Citizen Soldiers and Airmen. They have established mobile testing sites since early April at locations ranging from correctional facilities, health clinics and institutional facilities, to private businesses, senior-living facilities, and community-based testing sites.

Most community-based testing sites across the state are conducted on a regularly scheduled basis at the request of local health departments. Testing is conducted at a variety of facilities and extreme cold temperatures may impact some testing sites to the point where a local health department may close its site. All visitors seeking a test are urged to contact their local health department for more information about a particular testing day.

Those seeking a test at a Wisconsin National Guard community-based specimen collection site are urged to register online in advance using the Dynamics Testing and Registration Application (DTRA) program, which is also known as COVID Connect.

After collecting the specimens at each site, the test kits are sent to a lab for analysis, and individual citizens receive their results via an email or a phone call within three-to-seven days following the test.

Wisconsin National Guard specimen collection sites operating the week of Feb. 15-21 along with cumulative testing site totals since late December are listed below. Additional information on these testing sites and others is available at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website.

  • Adams County: A team conducts a community-based testing site each Monday through Mar. 8 at the Adams County Highway Department in Adams and has collected nearly 300 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Barron County: A team conducts a community-based testing site each Tuesday through Mar. 9 at the Barron Fire Department building and has gathered over 450 specimens as of Jan 25.
  • Bayfield County: A community-based testing site operates at the Iron River Community Center Feb. 5, Feb. 19 and Mar. 5 and has gathered nearly 330 specimens as of Feb. 15. The Red Cliff Nation hosts a community-based testing site Feb. 13 and Mar. 6 and has collected over 75 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Brown County: A team collects specimens on a regularly scheduled basis at the Brown County Youth Detention Center and at a Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs facility in Green Bay.
  • Burnett County: The St. Croix Tribe of Ojibwe hosts a community-based testing site Feb. 19 and Mar. 5 and had collected nearly 300 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Chippewa County: Cornell hosts a community-based testing site Feb. 17 and has collected over 50 specimens as of Feb. 15. A second site operates Mar. 3 at the Lafayette Town Hall in Chippewa Falls. A team also collects specimens regularly at a Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs facility in Chippewa Falls.
  • Columbia County: A community-based testing site operates in Cambria Feb. 12 and Feb. 26 and had collected nearly 200 specimens as of Feb. 15. A second site operates Mar. 2 in Columbus and has collected nearly 100 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Crawford County: Prairie du Chien hosts a community-based specimen collection site Feb. 9 and Mar. 9 and has gathered over 30 specimens as of Feb. 15. Gays Mills hosts a community-based testing site Feb. 23 and has gathered over 20 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Dane County: A team collected nearly 275 specimens Feb. 9 at the Oak Hill Correctional Institution.
  • Dodge County: A community-based testing site operates each Monday and Wednesday in Beaver Dam through Mar. 10 and has collected nearly 3,500 specimens as of Feb. 15. A team will gather specimens Feb. 16-17 at the Dodge Correctional Institution.
  • Door County: A community-based testing site in Sister Bay collected nearly 120 specimens and a second site in Sturgeon Bay gathered nearly 170 specimens between Jan. 4 and Feb. 11.
  • Douglas County: Superior hosted a community-based testing site Dec. 18 through Feb. 12 and collected over 100 specimens.
  • Dunn County: A community-based testing site operates Feb. 23 and Mar. 9 in Menominee and has gathered nearly 70 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Eau Claire County: A regional community-based testing in Eau Claire operates each Monday, Friday and Saturday through Mar. 8 and has collected nearly 1,200 specimens as of Feb. 15. A second site in Augusta operates each Wednesday through Mar. 10 and has collected nearly 200 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Florence County: Florence hosts a community-based testing site Mar. 5 and has gathered nearly 50 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Fond du Lac County: A team operates a community-based testing site each Thursday through Mar. 4 at the Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds and had gathered 1,350 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Grant County: Lancaster hosts a community-based testing site each Tuesday through Mar. 9 and has gathered 625 specimens as of Feb. 15. A second site operates in Platteville each Friday through Mar. 5 and has gathered over 350 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Iron County: Hurley hosts a community-based testing site Feb. 9 and Mar. 9 and has collected over 70 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Jackson County: One team operates a community-based testing site each Wednesday through Mar. 10 in Black River Falls and has gathered over 400 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Jefferson County: One team conducts a community-based testing site each Friday and Saturday through Mar. 6 at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Jefferson and has collected over 1,700 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Juneau County: Mauston hosts a community-based testing site each Thursday through Mar. 4 and has gathered nearly 425 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • La Crosse County: La Crosse hosts a community-based testing site each Monday through Mar. 8 and has gathered 1,650 specimens as of Feb. 15. West Salem operates a second community-based site each Saturday through Mar. 6 and had collected nearly 550 specimens as of Feb. 15. A third site operates at the Wisconsin Department of Transportation in La Crosse each Friday through Mar. 5 and has gathered nearly 600 specimens as of Feb. 15. Holmen hosts a fourth site each Wednesday through Mar. 10 and has gathered nearly 1,150 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Langlade County: Antigo hosts a community-based testing site Feb. 12 and Feb. 26 and had gathered nearly 90 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Lincoln County: A community-based testing site operates each Wednesday through Mar. 10 at the Merrill Festival Grounds in Merrill and had gathered nearly 300 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Manitowoc County: A team conducts a community-based testing site Feb. 9, Feb. 23 and Mar. 9 at the Manitowoc County Expo Center and has collected over 450 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Menominee County: A team operates a community-based testing site Feb. 2, Feb. 16 and Mar. 2 in Keshena and has collected over 480 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Milwaukee County: A Wisconsin National Guard specimen collection team operates a community-based testing site in South Milwaukee at 1525 Tenth Ave. The site is open each Tuesday, Friday and Saturday through Mar. 10 and has gathered over 6,800 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Monroe County: The Monroe County Highway Department in Tomah hosts a community-based specimen collection site Feb. 18 and Mar. 4 and had collected over 150 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Oconto County: Mountain hosts a community-based testing site Feb. 16 and Mar. 2 and has gathered over 300 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Oneida County: A community-based testing site operates each Tuesday and Thursday through Mar. 9 in Rhinelander and has gathered over 1,200 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Outagamie County: A team conducts a community-based specimen collection site each Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday through Mar. 10 in Appleton and has collected over 1,700 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Pierce County: A team operates a community-based specimen collection site in Ellsworth Feb. 22, Mar. 1 and Mar. 8 and has gathered over 600 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Polk County: Balsam Lake hosted a community-based specimen collection site Dec. 16 to Feb. 10 and gathered over 370 specimens.
  • Portage County: Stevens Point hosts a community-based testing site each Monday through Mar. 8 and has collected nearly 200 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Racine County: A community-based testing site operates at the Racine County Fairgrounds in Union Grove each Wednesday through Mar. 10 and has gathered more than 700 specimens as of Feb. 15. A second site operates at Festival Hall in Racine each Thursday through Mar. 4 and has collected over 900 specimens as of Feb. 15. A team collects specimens on a regularly scheduled basis at a Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs facility in Union Grove. A team will collect specimens Feb. 15 at a community-care facility in Racine.
  • Rock County: A team conducts a community-based specimen collection site each Wednesday and Thursday through Mar. 10 at Blackhawk Technical College and has gathered over 1,800 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Richland County: A team operates a community-based testing site each Thursday through Mar. 10 at the Richland County Fairgrounds and had collected over 200 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Sawyer County: A team conducts a community-based testing site each Wednesday through Mar. 10 at the fire hall in Winter and has collected over 300 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Shawano County: A team operates a community-based site for the Stockbridge-Munsee Nation in Bowler Feb. 9-10, Feb. 23-24 and Mar. 9-10 and has collected nearly 1,400 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Sheboygan County: A team conducts a community-based testing site each Wednesday and Friday through Mar. 10 in Sheboygan and has gathered nearly 1,300 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Taylor County: A team conducts a community-based testing site Feb. 19 and Mar. 5 in Medford and had collected over 200 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Trempealeau County: Independence hosts a community-based testing site Feb. 12 and Feb. 26 and has collected over 110 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Vernon County: A team operates a community-based testing site Feb. 23 and Mar. 9 in Viroqua and has gathered nearly 500 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Walworth County: A team conducts a community-based testing site each Tuesday between Dec. 15 and Mar. 9 at the Walworth County Fairgrounds and had collected over 1,400 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Waukesha County: One team operates a community-based testing every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the Waukesha County Expo Center between Dec. 14 and Mar. 10 and has gathered nearly 4,100 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Waupaca County: A team operates a community-based testing site each Wednesday through Mar. 10 at the Waupaca County Fairgrounds and has collected over 630 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Winnebago County: One team operates a community-based testing site Tuesday through Friday through Mar. 10 at the Sunnyview Expo Center in Oshkosh and had gathered over 5,200 specimens as of Feb. 15.
  • Wood County: A team operates a community-based testing site each Wednesday through Mar. 10 in Wisconsin Rapids and has collected over 230 specimens as of Feb. 15.

As of Feb. 15, Wisconsin National Guard teams have collected 1,033,625 specimens statewide.

Approximately 20 troops since late December are assisting the Wisconsin Department of Health Services with managing COVID-19 vaccine inventory at undisclosed sites across the state. The Wisconsin National Guard since Jan. 19 also supports the state’s vaccination efforts by providing mobile vaccination teams to local health departments who request assistance. These teams have assisted in administering 13,806 vaccines as of Feb. 15.

The Wisconsin National Guard experienced an unprecedented year in 2020 of assisting Wisconsin residents and supporting local officials respond to COVID-19, election worker support and civil disturbance support operations.

Nearly 600 Citizen Soldiers and Airmen from the Wisconsin National Guard are currently serving in direct support of the state’s on-going response to COVID-19 in a variety of statuses.

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