COURTESY OF THE LINCOLN COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
MERRILL – Lincoln County Health Department is collaborating with the Wisconsin National Guard to provide free COVID-19 testing.
The National Guard will be providing drive-through style COVID-19 nasal swab testing on Thursday, June 11 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Merrill Festival Grounds, 2001 E. 2nd St., Merrill.
No appointments are necessary. Anyone five years and older with any current symptom are eligible for testing. Symptoms include fever, cough, loss of taste/smell, shortness of breath, sore throat, fatigue, body aches, diarrhea, vomiting or nausea, chills, and/or muscle aches.
This event is only available to people that live or work in Wisconsin.
Individuals getting tested should be prepared to provide a current address, county of residence, and phone number when they arrive. Please be aware that the testing will be provided first come, first serve and that attendees may have to wait to be tested. Vehicles will form a line while waiting for testing, and all attendees will need to stay in or on their vehicle at all times. No restroom facilities will be available onsite; please plan accordingly.
The National Guard will be performing a nasal swab to test patients for COVID-19. The PCR test that will be used at this event is over 99% accurate. The National Guard will be in uniform and in full PPE (personal protective equipment including gowns, mask, gloves, etc.) during this event.
There are two main goals for this event:
- Provide our communities with mass testing.
- Give public health better insight into how widespread COVID-19 is in our communities.
Following this event, we will continue to support our local healthcare providers as they continue building their capacity to meet patient demand.
Please note that anyone tested is required to stay home until test results come back. Test results will be provided via phone by the National Guard or by your local health department in a timely manner.
There are additional community testing sites in Wisconsin throughout June. Any Wisconsin resident is welcome to attend any one of the testing events. Information can be found at www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/testing.htm. For the latest information about COVID-19 in Lincoln County, visit www.co.lincoln.wi.us/covid19 or follow us on Facebook. You can also visit the CDC’s website (www.cdc.gov) or the DHS website (www.dhs.wisconsin.gov).