By Ana Martinez-Ortiz
In the weeks leading up to and during the holidays, elected officials and health care professionals expressed their concern for a potential spike in positive COVID-19 cases. The concern was especially palpable in Milwaukee where the spread was still high but testing numbers were low.
Earlier this week, Mayor Tom Barrett held a press conference to announce that the City of Milwaukee would be launching two mobile testing sites. The first site is at the Barack Obama School, 4300 W. Fairmount Ave., and opened on Tuesday, Dec. 29.
A location has not been specified for the second mobile testing site, but Barrett said it will be located on the South Side.
“I think it’s important that people take advantage of this opportunity to be tested,” Barrett said.
He noted that testing and social tracking help control the spread. It is convenient and available.
Barrett said right now, the mobile testing site will remain at the Barack Obama School for at least two weeks. The city will move the testing sites depending on the need. In other words, the sites will move to the neighborhoods with the highest number of cases in order to make it easier for the community to get testing.
The testing is being administrated by a private company and will be done through the nasal passages. It will be provided at no cost, but the private vendor will bill people’s health insurance. If a person does not have insurance, the city will use its CARES funding to cover the cost.
The mobile testing site will be open from 8 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Testing will remain available at the Northwest Health Center, 7630 W. Mill Rd., the Southside Health center, 1639 S. 23rd St. and Miller Park, 1 Brewers Way. Testing at the health centers is available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday. Miller Park is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
The Miller Park site will be open on Thursday, Dec. 31 but closed on Friday, Jan. 1.
For additional information on testing, go to Milwaukee.gov/covidtesting.
