The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has been working with the City of Milwaukee Health Department to test students with symptoms of COVID-19 and students who have been in close contact with them. We also have been looking to expand our capacity for testing these students and have established relationships with Ascension and Quest for additional testing should demand exceed what the Milwaukee Health Department lab can provide. These plans are in line with Wisconsin Department of Health Services recommendations for COVID-19 testing.

The resources announced today and provided by Gov. Tony Evers and UW System will allow us to also test all students living in our residence halls. Campus health leaders from Norris Health Center, the College of Nursing and other campus units are currently working on plans for this additional testing, which will allow for earlier identification and isolation of students who are COVID-19 positive but have not yet shown symptoms.

We are grateful for the support from Gov. Evers and UW System, and these resources will allow us to further enhance the robust testing plan we already had in place for the fall semester.