Evers Announces $8.3M For COVID-19 Testing For College Campuses

MADISON, WI — At a time when Wisconsin’s coronavirus positivity rate continues to rise at what Gov. Tony Evers characterized Thursday as an “alarming” rate especially among young people, the governor announced an $8.3 million round of funding for testing at the state’s private, non-profit and tribal colleges and universities.

Thursday’s allotment of funds is the second that Evers has announced after he previously allocated $10 million in funding for general COVID-19 relief for the same group of higher education institutions earlier this summer. The newest round of financial support comes when the state’s seven-day positivity rate sits at more than more than 16 percent and when college-aged students between the ages of 18 and 24 living in campus environments are being hit hard by the pandemic, Evers said.

Thursday's announcement also came on a day when state health officials announced 2,392 positive cases statewide, which marks the second-highest single-day total when 2,533 cases were announced on Sept. 18. The seven-day average now sits at 1,939 confirmed cases, which is significantly higher than the seven-day average of 665 just last month.

Since the pandemic began, state health officials have tallied more than 108,000 positive cases and 1,265 deaths among Wisconsin residents. Evers, who declared a state of emergency earlier this week when he extended the mask mandate until Nov. 21, said Thursday that it is imperative that he and other officials work together to keep the virus from spreading among college students.

“No campus exists in a bubble, so it is critical that we all work together to stop the spread of this virus for the health and safety of not only those on our college campuses, but for Wisconsinites in every corner of our state, and testing is a key step in doing just that,” Evers said in a news release announcing the funding for testing.

The testing funding is provided through the Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The program is overseen by the Wisconsin Department of Administration and provides reimbursement for COVID-19 testing, specimen testing and other costs incurred by private higher education institutions. According to officials, institutions may use the funding to procure COVID-19 tests and testing services to test students, faculty, and staff who are symptomatic, asymptomatic, or in close contact with confirmed COVID-19 positive cases.

“The health of our students, faculty, and staff during this unprecedented time is a priority, especially as we see increases in COVID-19 cases among college students throughout the nation,” DOA Secretary Joel Brennan said in the news release. “I am proud we can support Wisconsin’s higher education institutions in their efforts to provide sanitary and safe learning environments.”