FOND DU LAC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — COVID cases are up in Fond du Lac.
And now, for the first time since the pandemic started, a drive-thru testing site is up and running there.
“We thought this was a perfect time to offer this to our community,” said Kim Mueller, Fond du Lac County public health officer.
Lines of cars wrapped around the Fond du Lac County Highway Garage on Friday…
“We gotta get this taken care of somehow or somewhere!” said Bernie Halbach of Fond du Lac.
Full of people waiting to do just that.
“Just to get it out of the way and make sure that we’re safe,” Taylor Derynck of British Columbia, CAN said.
Mueller says a COVID-19 testing site has been a need and want for a while now.
“We’ve always been asked why we don’t offer testing for individuals that are not symptomatic, or people that just, in general, want more testing, you know, or if they’re afraid, just to get that testing in,” she said.
COVID-19 cases have been rising in the county.
Mueller blames “COVID Fatigue.”
“We know there are lots of events that bring people closer together; people close, and they’re not following those mitigation strategies that you and I both know will lessen that spread of COVID,” she said.
Mueller hopes the drive-thru test site will stop the virus from spreading.
You don’t have to live in Fond du Lac county. It’s open to anyone older than five, who is willing to wait.
“It’s great that it’s here for people that want to get tested and whatnot, but it’s just crazy to see the line-up and how long it takes, and how many people are getting tested,” Derynck said.
Halbach says they waited for almost two hours Friday.
And, even if you don’t have a car, you can still walk right up and be tested on-site.
“Our goal would be to get 750 swabs done each day, so if we can get close to that, that would be considered a success,” Mueller said.
Wisconsin National Guard soldiers are on-site, helping conduct the tests.
The site is open until 7 p.m. Friday and again from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
