The NNS coronavirus update: What Milwaukee residents need to know the week of Sept. 21 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matt Martinez
September 21, 2020
National Guard testing sites have changed their hours of operation. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Here’s the latest update on COVID-19 in Milwaukee and the resources you need to combat it.
TestUp MKE launches, encourages Milwaukeeans to get tested
TestUp MKE, an initiative to help inform Milwaukeeans about coronavirus testing, launched its website last week.
Alison True, communications director for Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers and a spokeswoman for the initiative, said during a media briefing that the goal of the website is to create a trusted space for anyone in the community to get information about COVID-19 testing.
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True said TestUp MKE seeks to make information accessible and easy to understand for the community.
“I guarantee that at TestUp MKE, you don’t need to have a Ph.D. to know what’s happening, to know what to trust or to understand what to do,” True said.
The site is available in five languages: English, Spanish, Burmese, Hmong and Arabic. The site offers information such as testing locations and answers to frequently asked questions for each step of the process (e.g. before and after the test). The site also has an assessment tool to let you know whether or not you need a COVID-19 test.
The site and initiative launch as health officials reiterate the need to increase testing numbers. COVID-19 testing has been on the decline since mid-July.
National Guard testing sites change hours
National Guard testing sites changed their hours of operation, effective Sept. 15. The sites will now be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. They will be closed on Sundays.
Mayor Tom Barrett said the change was to accommodate for fall daylight hours. The two locations affected are:
•UMOS: 2701 S. Chase Ave.
•Custer Stadium: 4300 W. Fairmount Ave.
Officials urge flu vaccinations
As flu season approaches, Milwaukee health officials are asking people to get vaccinated to prevent outbreaks of both influenza and COVID-19. As NNS previously reported, catching both diseases can be deadly.
“Unlike COVID-19, we currently have an effective vaccine to prevent the flu,” Barrett said. “It is important for people to get this vaccination, because a combination of the flu and (COVID-19) is not a combination any of us want to have.”
Statewide COVID-19 numbers increasing
Wisconsin ranked fourth in the nation for confirmed cases of COVID-19 last week, as the state topped 2,000 cases in a day for the first time.
The 18-to-24 age range is leading the pack by far in case numbers, causing some to theorize that the reopening of college campuses has played a large role in the spike.
“I think it’s pretty clear that it’s the college campuses that are driving this,” Barrett said, “and I think there really has to be a redoubling of efforts to make sure that college students are taking this seriously, because it’s clearly having an effect right now.”
Where to get free masks
To obtain a free mask, residents can visit these sites:
NNS reporters also gathered a list of where to buy locally made masks if you’re looking to show some local business love when masking up.
Check the City of Milwaukee Health Department’s website for the most updated facts and answers to questions about the mask ordinance.
Resources to know
Look here for up-to-date statistics on COVID-19 in the county. More precautions on how to stay safe and information on COVID-19 can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.
Contact your health provider, call IMPACT 2-1-1 or take a look at the county’s testing site map to find a testing center near you. The free community testing sites at UMOS, 2701 S. Chase Ave., and Custer Stadium by Barack Obama School, 4300 W. Fairmount Ave. continue to operate.
Check out our continuing coronavirus coverage.
Looking for more personalized direction to resources and information during the coronavirus crisis? Get connected with News414, a texting-based news resource from Milwaukee NNS, Wisconsin Watch and Outlier Media. You can text MILWAUKEE to 73224 and begin to receive free, personalized data via text messages.