Free COVID-19 Testing Expanded to Saturday

The City of Milwaukee Health Department will now offer free testing at its Miller Park site on Saturdays.

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., you can get tested at a site set up in the stadium’s parking lot at 1 Brewers Way. The location will still be open Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., as well.

As COVID-19 continues to surge, the services and workers handling the pandemic are being pushed to their limits.

The health department’s free testing locations have been regularly operating at or above capacity for weeks. The Miller Park location has a daily capacity of 2,000 tests, but the workers there are daily exceeding that capacity. 

On Monday, they performed 2,562 tests. That day, the department’s three testing sites together did nearly 4,000 tests.

Mayor Tom Barrett said the weekend testing hours are intended to “alleviate some of the high demand we’ve been seeing on Mondays, and provide the opportunity to get tested for those who do not have time during the week.”

If you need transportation to the Miller Park testing site, you can catch a free shuttle ride from one of 13 stops around the city. To find a stop near you, visit this page.

Because testing resources are already being pushed to their limits, the health department is asking that you prioritize getting tested based upon your risk of having COVID-19. Anyone who is symptomatic and/or has been exposed to COVID-19 should get tested, said Marlaina Jackson, interim health commissioner.

If you have been exposed, the “general rule” for getting tested is three to five days after your exposure, Jackson said. It’s also important to quarantine for a full two weeks after an exposure because it is possible not to test positive for up to 14 days after catching the virus.

The city’s other two testing sites will not be open on Saturdays, but remain open during the week. One is at the Northwest Health Center at 7630 W. Mill Rd. The other is at the Southside Health Center, 1639 S. 23rd. St.

Both locations are open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

And all three city testing sites are free and do not require an appointment.