Courtesy of the Lincoln County Health Department
MERRILL – The Lincoln County Health Department (LCHD) is collaborating with the Wisconsin National Guard, Merrill Area Public Schools (MAPS), and the Merrill Fire Department to provide free drive-through COVID-19 testing on a weekly basis.
Testing will take place in the parking lot of the MAPS building, 2004 E. 10th St., Merrill, with the entrance on 10th St., every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. starting (Wednesday, Oct. 21) and ending Dec. 9. There will be no testing event on Veterans Day, Nov. 11.
These events are only available to people that live or work in Wisconsin.
No appointments are necessary. However, pre-registration is strongly encouraged and should be done within 24 hours of the event at www.register.covidconnect.wi.gov.
Testing is intended for symptomatic individuals or close contacts who are five years and older. COVID-19 symptoms include fever, cough, loss of taste/smell, shortness of breath, sore throat, fatigue, body aches, diarrhea, vomiting or nausea, chills, and muscle aches.
Individuals receiving a test should be prepared to provide a current address, county of residence, and phone number when they arrive. Testing will be provided on a first come, first served basis and 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 collect nasal swabs from those being tested to conduct a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. The PCR test that will be used is over 99% accurate. The National Guard will be in uniform and in full PPE (personal protective equipment-including gowns, mask, gloves, etc.) during these events.
Please note that anyone tested is required to stay home until test results come back. Test results will be provided via email or phone by the National Guard or by your local health department in a timely manner.
Any questions related to testing can be directed to Jeremy Blankenship, COVID Testing Coordinator, Lincoln County Health Department, at 715-352-0804 or [email protected].
There are additional community testing sites in Wisconsin throughout October. 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 LCHD on Facebook. You can also visit the CDC’s website (www.cdc.gov) or the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website (www.wisconsin.dhs.gov).