By City Times staff

MADISON – Governor Tony Evers has announced a new public-private partnership among Wisconsin industry leaders to increase Wisconsin’s laboratory testing capacity for COVID-19.

The new partnership now includes laboratory support from Marshfield Clinic Health System and three others. These organizations, along with the Wisconsin Clinical Lab Network, will now share knowledge, resources, and technology to bolster Wisconsin’s testing capacity.

Prior to today’s announcement, the Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene and the Milwaukee Public Health Lab were leading the Wisconsin Clinical Lab Network labs to bring additional COVID-19 testing online.

The Wisconsin Clinical Lab Network labs have been averaging completion of 1,500-2,000 COVID-19 tests per day. The expanded capacity from the state’s new public-private partnership is expected to double that capacity initially and continue to expand as additional platforms and supplies become available.

“Marshfield Clinic Health System believes collaboration is at the core of overcoming the challenges COVID-19 is presenting our communities,” according to Dr. Susan Turney, Marshfield Clinic CEO.

Turney says the clinic has the ability to test for COVID-19, and turn results around within a day or less.

Residents who are seeking a COVID-19 test are still required to receive an order from a doctor.