As of Oct. 4, a new COVID-19 testing site opened in Stoughton, dispensing high-quality PCR testing (provided by Fitchburg Family Pharmacy) for staff and students of the Stoughton Area School District.
Currently, the testing site is located at 900 W Wilson Street, in the gym to the left of door 13. Previously, the COVID-19 tests were conducted outside in the north parking lot of Martin Luther Preschool, but the PCR tests used are rated for over 2 degrees Celsius (36.6 degrees Fahrenheit), and, as testing site staff member Nick Adler says, “Cold hands make slow work.”
When the weather changed into late fall, they relocated into the building occupied by Martin Luther School, but when spring comes back around, Adler expects testing to return outdoors.
Stoughton Area School District is not the only district that has recently gained COVID-19 testing sites. In fact, DHS, which is the Department of Health Services through the state of Wisconsin, has commissioned many local pharmacies, including Fitchburg Family Pharmacy, to distribute COVID-19 tests throughout school districts in Dane County.
These pharmacies then provide testing for the districts’ students on a regular basis, as well as outbreak testing. These tests make their way to Exact Sciences, where the tests are brought to the lab to be analyzed.
The process of getting a test is fairly simple. First, you go to the website register.covidconnect.wi.gov. There, you fill out a brief survey in order to supply data for statistical analysis, as well as obtain contact information so that they can message you when your results are in. This website will then ask you to register for the COVID-19 test. This survey can also be taken at the testing center, for those who need help filling it out. From there, you just need to take the test, and you will get your results within a few days.
For everyone who wants to be tested for COVID-19, registration is required. For students under 14, the consent of a parent or guardian is needed. For students ages 14 to 17, guardian consent is needed, as well as verbal consent of the student. For students and staff who are 18 and up, all that is needed is verbal consent of the person receiving the test.
For more information, you can visit the SASD website, select the COVID-19 tab, then click on “COVID-19 Testing Program.”
According to Adler, the best way to stay safe from COVID-19 is to “go out and get vaccines if you can. If you need to get a COVID test, we are here Mondays and Wednesdays from 2 to 4 p.m.”