'Smash COVID:' Familiar faces use comic relief to urge free testing
MILWAUKEE - University of Wisconsin System President Tommy Thompson and comedian Charlie Berens of The Manitowoc Minute are urging state residents to get a free COVID-19 test at one of the state’s rapid-results "surge testing" sites.
"We all want to smash COVID, and I’m happy to join President Thompson in bringing attention to these free tests. Keep ‘er Movin’ Wisconsin – through the COVID testing line," said Charlie Berens.
Now more than 170,000 free tests using the Abbot BinaxNOW rapid-results antigen test have been administered at Wisconsin’s 22 surge testing sites on or near UW System campuses, identifying nearly 14,000 potential positive carriers of the virus who have been advised to isolate.
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The testing sites will be operable for several weeks, reported to be likely through Jan. 23, with UW-Madison closing its sites on Jan. 7.
Thompson spoke on the testing saying, "Since then, the number of cases in our state has been dropping, and surge testing has been a critical factor because we could quickly identify potential cases."
Thompson and Berens filmed the "Smash COVID" video in Waukesha.
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