UW-Green Bay to Host ‘Rapid COVID Testing’ for Community

More than 12,000 Free Rapid COVID Tests Available at Drive-Up Testing Site at UW-Green Bay, beginning Monday, November 9th.

GREEN BAY, Wis.—The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay will host one of the state’s COVID-19 “surge-testing sites”—a partnership between the UW System’s 13 Universities and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as announced November 4th by UW System President Tommy Thompson.

It is the first time a federal surge testing operation will utilize Abbott BinaxNOW rapid point-of-care tests that provide a result “while-you-wait,” within 15 minutes. The drive-up testing area will be held near UW-Green Bay’s Weidner Center for the Performing Arts, which allows easy access and traffic flow from Nicolet Drive. Campuses are currently establishing testing sites with medical support provided by eTrueNorth under contract with the federal government.

Testing will be available to anyone age 5-and-older at no cost, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. by appointment at DOINeedACovid19Test.com. (Note: The UW-Green Bay testing location at this link is expected to go “live” within the next few hours). Individuals do not have to be experiencing symptoms nor have close contact of someone with COVID-19 to get a test, nor do they need to live in Green Bay.

“Our universities are perfectly positioned to help Wisconsin combat the spread of COVID-19,” Thompson said in a statement, today. “This is the Wisconsin Idea in action, and a recognition of our existing work to keep our students, faculty, and staff as safe as possible during the pandemic.”

The state Department of Health Services will be supplying an additional 30,000 PCR tests as part of the effort. Individuals who test negative using the BinaxNOW test but also are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or who test positive but do not have symptoms are urged to get a confirmatory PCR test at the testing site.

UW-Green Bay Chancellor Mike Alexander said the campus is prepared to do what it takes to help combat the spread of COVID-19 in Northeast Wisconsin:

“It is our responsibility to do what we can to help stop the spread,” he said. “We have been granted more than 12,000 tests to use on our campus to help slow the spread of the pandemic. We urge everyone, especially those 30-years-and-younger who are less likely to be symptomatic but still carry and unknowingly spread the virus, to take advantage of this quick and easy testing opportunity.”

Individuals who want to be tested can register online, proceed to the testing site, administer the test themselves under supervision, and label it for processing. All participants must register for a free test at www.doineedacovid19test.com. Participants will also retrieve results by logging into this portal after receiving an email that results are ready.

Alexander is also asking the community to help spread the word about this new testing program:

“It’s free, it’s fast and it will help our community to get the spread under control,” he shared. “UW-Green Bay wants to be a part of the solution in this community and that’s why we’re working so hard to get the word out. Please tell your family, friends and neighbors to get a test.” 

Students who live on the Green Bay Campus will not have their testing procedures or test site altered. They will be expected to continue their weekly mandatory surveillance testing at the Kress Events Center Turf Gym. All other UW-Green Bay students have the option of using either testing option to monitor COVID-19.