*Updated 6/24/2020 to reflect that the community testing site will be open at least until August 31, 2020.

In response to high utilization, the Wisconsin National Guard has extended the Dane County COVID-19 community testing site to be open at least through August 31st.

“Thousands of people have been tested at the Alliant Energy Center. Having this resource available in our community is an important step in understanding and controlling the spread of disease,” said Janel Heinrich, Director of Public Health Madison & Dane County.

Testing site details:

• Testing is done by the National Guard in the New Holland Pavilion at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison.
• The site is open until at least August 31:
  • Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 8:00am – 4:00pm
  • Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:00am – 8:00pm.
• The test is free and available to all Dane County residents 5 years and older who may arrive by car, bike, or on foot. No appointment is necessary. Translation is available in Spanish and Hmong.
• Free transportation is available for those that need it by calling the Public Health Transportation Line at (608) 243-0420.
• Until you have your test results, limit contact with others. This is very important, especially if you been exposed to someone diagnosed with COVID-19, or if you have symptoms like fever, cough, and sore throat.
• The test is not an antibody test and does not indicate if someone has had COVID-19 in the past. Test results are provided via phone call within 3-5 business days.

“It’s important to understand that, if you have a negative result after being tested, you should not assume that you can relax the prevention measures you’ve been doing, such as frequent hand washing, covering your coughs and sneezes, physical distancing, and staying home as much as possible,” said Heinrich. “This test is a snapshot in time, and we know that COVID-19 is circulating in our community. A negative test result doesn’t mean let your guard down.”

For more information and answers to questions about the community testing site, visit publichealthmdc.com/coronavirustesting.