MADISON, Wis. — Undergraduate students living on University of Wisconsin campuses will be tested for COVID-19 at least once per week starting in 2021's spring semester.
The accelerated testing plan will apply to all UW campuses except Madison, which is developing its own testing policy.
In addition to residential undergrads, the UW system will also test all faculty, staff, and non-residential students at least once every two weeks.
“Frequent testing is critical to minimizing the spread of COVID-19,” University of Wisconsin system president Tommy Thompson said in a statement. “We have demonstrated at our universities, where the positivity rate has hovered around 3 percent for weeks, that routine testing is a difference maker. The UW System’s testing program has been pivotal toward ensuring a successful in-person fall semester, and we will do even more this spring given how well it has gone.”
The testing program will not apply to faculty and staff members who are not working on campus during spring semester.
“Frequent testing has helped us create a culture of responsibility on our campuses,” Thompson said. “I am very proud of how our students have responded to the challenges facing them this fall.”
The University of Wisconsin system serves nearly 165,000 students across 13 universities and 26 campuses.
