More than 350K COVID tests coming to University of Wisconsin schools in the fall

Story teller: Evan Vogel.

​Notice: this story is sourced from an external 3rd party service, TMJ4 Milwaukee. You can read this full story on their website here.

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​MADISON — This coming school year, UW System schools across the state will have access to more than 350,000 coronavirus tests for students.

The tests are a part of $32 million plan the system and the office of Governor Tony Evers announced today in connection to the federal CARES act funding for Wisconsin.

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“Funding from the governor’s office and the federal government will help us provide the kind of testing we need at our universities when students return this fall,” said UW System President Tommy Thompson. “Students and families can be confident in this testing program.”

The funding includes testing for up to 34,000 students who are already symptomatic, while 317,000 other tests will be available for students living in residence halls, given bi-weekly with a rapid turnaround of results.

In their plan testing would be conducted by university student health services offices and local health partners who are still being identified.

Up to 52 staff located at system universities around the state to conduct that testing.

​Funding also includes around $6 million for personal protective equipment needed for the testing to take place.

UW-Madison has already announced its own testing plan, with $8 million allocated by the governor’s office.

The plan announced today applies to the other 12 UW System universities.

System President Tommy Thompson said the UW System continues to develop a case dashboard for public reporting of cases within the System.