May 4, Wisconsin Health News
Gov. Tony Evers announced a plan Monday to make Wisconsin one of the top states for COVID-19 testing per capita.
Evers said the state is prepared to provide 85,000 tests per week.
“We want every Wisconsin resident who needs a test to get a test,” Department of Health Services Secretary-designee Andrea Palm told reporters.
As of Monday, the state has already provided more than 60,000 tests to hospitals, clinics, local public health departments, long-term care facilities and others.
Fifty-seven of the state’s counties have requested and are getting supplies.
Other key components of the plan, according to a statement from the governor’s office, are:
- Providing free testing and diagnostics to Wisconsin’s 373 nursing homes to test all nursing home residents and staff. The goal is to test more than 10,000 residents and staff per week during the month of May.
- Working with the Wisconsin National Guard and local health groups to test all workers and families linked to outbreaks.
- Increasing the number of free drive-thru community testing sites throughout the state.
- Mobilizing 15 more National Guard units to help local health departments set up testing sites and respond to outbreaks. That would bring the total number of National Guard units working on testing to 25.
- Providing free tests for state-sponsored test sites for those experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. No doctors’ visits will be required at sites sponsored by the National Guard.
- Providing test supplies to all Wisconsin healthcare systems. As of Monday, the state has provided 41,255 tests to healthcare systems.
