Sauk County to offer free drive-thru COVID-19 testing Friday

May 26, 2020 9:51 PM

Brandon Arbuckle,

Posted: May 26, 2020 9:51 PM

by Brandon Arbuckle

BARABOO, Wis. — Sauk County Public Health announced it will offer free drive-thru COVID-19 testing in Baraboo later this week.

According to the news release, the testing will take place Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Walnut Hill Church on 1900 East St.

“Sauk County Public Health is working very hard to stay in front of this epidemic and minimize local impact,” said Tim Lawther, Health Officer for Sauk County Public Health. “This Public Health-led testing site is another step in the right direction towards our goal of testing over 500 Sauk County residents each week. Continuous testing will allow us to manage the epidemic as we gradually reopen and will help to prevent a spike in cases.”

Those who are interested in getting tested must first call the Sauk County coronavirus hotline at 608-355-3200 to schedule an appointment.

The test itself takes about five minutes and involves a nasal swab. After the sample is collected, health officials will send the test to a state-approved lab.

The release said vehicles can have more than one person inside, but each individual must register in advance in order to get tested.

The test is only able to confirm if a person has an active case of COVID-19 and cannot determine whether someone previously had the virus and is now recovered.