266 tested for COVID-19 on May 29 in Abbotsford

Marathon County Health Department and Clark County Health Department provided COVID-19 testing for 266 individuals on May 29 with the aid of the Wisconsin National Guard. The event provided drivethrough and walk-up style COVID-19 nasal swab testing in Abbotsford at the Abbotsford High School parking lot. Half of the participants spoke Spanish as their primary language.

No one was turned away. Anyone 5 years and older with any current symptom received testing. Symptoms included fever, cough, loss of taste/smell, shortness of breath, sore throat, fatigue, body aches, diarrhea, vomiting or nausea, chills, and/or muscle aches.

Test results are still being returned, but the health department is expecting that some people will receive positive test results and officials are urging community members to follow social distancing guidelines and to stay home if they are feeling sick.

“We strongly suspect community-transmission in Marathon and Clark counties,” said Marathon County Health Officer Joan Theurer. “We continue to request that individuals use social distancing, wear a mask in public, use good hand hygiene, and to quarantine themselves if they are feeling ill at this time.”

Patients were made aware at the event that if they receive a positive test result, a public health nurse would call them and walk them through the next steps. Until the result was delivered, the health departments asked that all symptomatic individuals stayed home and refrained from attending, work, school, church, or any other public event and to self-quarantine. Individuals will be contacted with results within 3-7 days and participants are strongly encouraged to pick up the phone for unknown numbers during that time, as it may be their COVID-test results.

The results from the Community Testing held on May 19 at NorthCentral Technical College were 221 persons tested, and two (2) positive tests -- one each from Marathon and Lincoln counties.