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First Friday greetings and prayers to all!
I hope you were able to enjoy the unexpected nice weather these past few days.

UWSP has just announced free rapid COVID tests beginning on November 9.

COVID-19 testing Community partnership
UW-Stevens Point, in partnership with the University of Wisconsin System and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will make free rapid-results COVID-19 tests available to community members. The goal is to help identify people throughout central Wisconsin who may have the novel coronavirus and help slow the spread of COVID-19 which has soared in Wisconsin.

Testing will be available at all three UW-Stevens Point campuses for approximately six weeks beginning Nov. 9. Testing will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. as follows:
Mondays and Thursdays – UWSP at Wausau fieldhouse – park in Lots D, E, F, or on the street.
Tuesdays – UWSP at Marshfield fieldhouse – park in the south lot by the marauder statue. Enter the PE (PHY ED) door and follow the signs.
Wednesdays and Fridays – UW-Stevens Point, Champions Hall Multi-Activity Center – park in Lot F West at Fourth Avenue and Isadore streets and enter the hall through west doors.
There is no limit on the number of times individuals can be tested.
This is the first time a federal “surge testing” operation will use Abbott BinaxNOW rapid point-of-care tests that provide results within 15 minutes. Federal surge testing provides additional temporary federal support to areas that have seen a recent spike in coronavirus cases.

While cases continued to be manageable on UW-Stevens Point campuses, UW leaders are leveraging an opportunity to enhance testing in their communities in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. This is the embodiment of the Wisconsin Idea in which our university system uses its capacity, resources, and expertise to solve problems and help people throughout our state.

The BinaxNOW tests are in addition to antigen screening tests already offered on the Stevens Point campus to students living in residence halls and off-campus. Students and employees at our Wausau and Marshfield campuses will now have easy access to screening tests.

The testing sites will be operated by eTrueNorth under contract with the federal government. Testing is available at no cost to anyone ages 5 and older. Individuals do not have to be experiencing symptoms or a close contact of someone with COVID-19 to get a test, nor do they need to live in the community where the testing site is located.

Please follow this process:
Schedule a free test at www.doineedacovid19test.com.
Go to the testing site selected. Each individual will receive a voucher at check-in.
The test is a self-administered light nasal swab under the supervision of medical professionals.
The results take 15 minutes.
Participants will receive an email when the results are ready. They can retrieve results by logging into the web portal where they registered.
Individuals will receive instructions on the next steps, depending on test results and symptoms.
This community partnership is in addition to other community testing sites available in Stevens Point, Wausau, and elsewhere that offer PCR tests.
Please note:
UW-Stevens Point will provide community-specific fliers and social media messaging for county health departments and community partners to share by Friday, Nov. 6.

We are in communication with our county public health partners. Questions will be directed to the university’s COVID-19 hotline.

In Christ’s Peace
Daniel Minter
President
Assumption Catholic School