Alliant Energy Center COVID-19 Test Site Hours Change Beginning October 5
Beginning the week of October 5th, the hours for the Alliant Energy Center COVID-19 community test site will change. The test site will be closed on Mondays beginning Monday, October 5th, while continuing to be open Tuesday through Saturday until the end of the year.
The new hours for the site are:
- Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:00pm to 8:00pm
- Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 8:00am to 4:00pm
- Closed on Sundays and Mondays
Since the test site opened in May, an average of 1,643 people have been tested per day.
“Just since early July, we’ve detected 5,985 positive tests at Alliant Energy Center,” says Van Horn. “Of those people who tested positive approximately 1 in 5 were asymptomatic, meaning they were out and about in our community and able to spread the virus without feeling sick at all themselves. This is one of the reasons we feel it is important to keep the site running through the end of the year,” continues Van Horn.
Testing site details:
- Testing is done in the New Holland Pavilion at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison.
- The site is open until the end of the year.
- The test is free and available to those 5 years and older who may arrive by car, bike, or on foot. No appointment is necessary. Translation is available in Spanish and Hmong.
- No identification is needed and immigration status is not asked.
- Pre-registration is available in English, Spanish and Hmong, and is encouraged in order to get through the site as quickly as possible.
- Free transportation is available for those that need it by calling the Public Health Transportation Line at (608) 243-0420.
- The test is not an antibody test and does not indicate if someone has had COVID-19 in the past.
- It is very important to limit contact with others until test results are received, especially if someone has been exposed to COVID-19 or has symptoms like fever, cough, or sore throat.
- Test results are provided via email or phone call within 3-7 business days.
Public Health Madison & Dane County will staff the majority of the test site moving forward.
“We will continue to provide about 10,000 tests per week. This keeps us well above the critical testing metric that we closely watch to detect active infection and prevent COVID-19 transmission,” continues Van Horn.
Wait times at the testing site might see moderate increases with the decreased hours of operation.
Public Health recommends testing for:
- People who have had close contact (within 6 feet for about 15 minutes) with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
- People with COVID-19 symptoms
- People who have regular exposure to a large number of people (e.g., people who work in grocery stores)
- People who work closely with high-risk populations (e.g., healthcare workers, people who work with people who are incarcerated, people who work in long-term care facilities)
For more information and answers to questions about the community testing site, visit publichealthmdc.com/coronavirustesting.