Wisconsin to Offer Enhanced COVID-19 Testing for Schools
Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services said that they are free COVID testing in Wisconsin schools for the 2021-2022 school year.
The state says the new program will connect testing partners to provide onsite testing at Wisconsin schools for students, teachers, staff, and their families. Participating K-12 schools and districts have the flexibility to choose the type of COVID-19 testing that works best for their school or district.
The options available for schools is testing for individuals with symptoms or those who have been in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, testing for people who attend or participate in school-based events or activities, testing on a routine basis for unvaccinated asymptomatic individuals, or testing of large groups in the school when there has been a COVID-19 outbreak.
Governor Evers said, "Until COVID-19 vaccines are available to students of all ages, testing remains one of our best tools to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our schools, this testing program supports schools so our educators and staff can focus on what they do best – teaching our kids.”
This is a federally funded program, and it is completely voluntary for schools and districts and officials say that they'll also have access to both rapid, point of care antigen tests and highly accurate, laboratory-based tests.
"By quickly identifying new COVID-19 cases by offering testing in schools, we will also be protecting the health of family members of kids, teachers and staff, as well as the wider community,” said DHS Secretary-designee Karen Timberlake.