MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin officials have a launched a new program to test school children for COVID-19 this fall, the state Department of Health Services announced Tuesday.
DHS Deputy Secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk said participation will be voluntary. The DHS will work to connect schools that opt in with labs that the agency uses to confirm COVID-19 tests. The labs will supply testing materials, send teams out to schools to collect swabs, test specimens and send results to students and their parents, all free of charge, Van Dijk said.
The program will be funded through a $175 million federal grant through the U.S. Department of Health Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Van Dijk said.