Free COVID-19 Testing

JUNE 14 UPDATE: Effective June 26, 2021, the community testing and vaccination site at the Alliant Energy Center will be closed. Since emergency operations began, Public Health Madison & Dane County has conducted roughly 425,000 COVID-19 tests and administered 83,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine at Alliant.

From the first test on May 11, 2020, to the first vaccination on December 29, 2020, more than 150 full-time, part-time, and limited-term employees worked tirelessly to meet the ever-changing demands of the pandemic.

“It has been our honor to provide these critical services to the community year-round throughout this pandemic,” said Janel Heinrich, Director of Public Health Madison & Dane County. “Our staff has put in thousands of hours of work, day in and day out to meet the evolving needs of our community and slow the spread of COVID-19.”

The Wisconsin National Guard supported testing in conjunction with Public Health staff from May 2020 until Public Health took over testing operations completely in fall 2020. FEMA and National Guard staff also supported vaccination efforts in in April and May of 2021, raising vaccination capacity from 5,600 to 7,700 doses per week.

In total, 11% of Dane County vaccine doses have been given at the Alliant Energy Center, and about 33% of residents received a COVID test at the site.

“An effort of this size and magnitude could never have been accomplished without collaboration and support at the county, state, and federal level,” said Dane County Executive Joe Parisi. “I want to thank Public Health, the Wisconsin National Guard, Dane County Emergency Management, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and FEMA for the teamwork it took to make this community site such a success.”

The closing of this community site does not mean the work is over. Public Health will continue to provide testing and vaccination services in our existing spaces including the South Madison and East Washington offices in addition to hosting mobile vaccination clinics throughout the county.

Testing is by appointment only at South Madison Office (2230 S. Park Street):

§  Tuesdays: 8am – 4pm

§  Thursdays: 12pm – 8pm

§  Saturdays: 8am – 4pm

Vaccination by appointment or drop-in:

§  Monday: South Madison Office (2230 S. Park Street) – 8am – 4pm

§  Tuesday: East Washington Office (2705 East Washington Ave) – 12pm – 8pm

§  Wednesday: South Madison Office (2230 S. Park Street) – 12pm – 8pm

§  Thursday: East Washington Office (2705 East Washington Ave) – 8am – 4pm

§  Friday: South Madison Office (2230 S. Park Street) – 8am – 4pm

“The best way to protect ourselves and each other is to get vaccinated,” said Satya Rhodes-Conway, City of Madison Mayor. “As we look to lift vaccination rates in our communities, we must continue to put the focus on those most vulnerable to COVID-19 by providing equitable access to the vaccine.”

Mobile vaccination efforts are ongoing, with several first and second dose clinics happening every week throughout Dane County. See our map to find one near you or for more information, visit https://publichealthmdc.com/vax.

press release: Info for testing at Alliant Energy Center, 1919 Alliant Energy Center Way. Open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:00pm to 8:00pm and Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 8:00am to 4:00pm. The site will be closed on Sundays and Mondays, as well as June 19.

Testing is currently in the New Holland Pavilion and will be moving to the Coliseum beginning March 9. People needing a test should still use the Rimrock Road entrance and follow signs guiding them to the Coliseum. Vaccinations are also taking place (as of April 5) at Alliant Center; for more info, visit here.

In collaboration with the National Guard, PHMDC implemented an online registration system that has dramatically improved wait times. People can register before heading to the site or register onsite.

TRANSPORTATION: Drive-thru, bike-up, or walk-up. If you use the walk or bike-up lane, you must wear a mask. If you do not have a mask, one will be provided to you. If you drive, you cannot use the walk-up lane. The walk up lane is reserved for those who bike or walk to the Alliant Energy Center. You can have multiple family members in your car to be tested. For a free ride to the site, call the Public Health Transportation Line at (608) 243-0420. A transportation company will then call you to schedule the ride. It’s preferred that you wear a cloth face covering when using this service.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS: Testing is free, no appointments necessary. No ID is needed and you won't be asked for your immigration status; Spanish and Hmong translators are available onsite. Anyone 5-17 years old must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian authorized to give consent for the COVID-19 test on their behalf. If you're able to be tested at your doctor's office, we encourage you to do so. Please be prepared for a wait.

This test involves swabbing a sample from about one inch inside your nose. It will only tell us if you have COVID-19 right now. It does not tell us if you had COVID-19 in the past.

For updates on the current wait time on Tuesdays through Fridays, see our Twitter feed . Saturdays typically have a wait time of less than an hour.

If it has been at least 5 days since you got tested at the Alliant Energy Center and you haven't received your results, call the Wisconsin COVID-19 Results Line at (866) 419-6988.

Public Health Madison & Dane County provides staffing for the testing site with support from a number of other county agencies including the Alliant Energy Center and Sheriff’s Office. Funding for test kits is provided by the State of Wisconsin while local dollars and federal CARES funds help cover costs associated with operations.

South Madison Community Test Site: Village on Park: Public Health WIC Clinic at 2230 S. Park Street, Madison, WI 53713. Currently, the WIC location is also set to be running through at least May 15.

Mondays, 8:00am – 4:00pm; Wednesdays, 12:00pm – 8:00pm. Testing is open until at least March 31.

If You Can, Make an Appointment. Appointments will be scheduled in 15 minute time slots, and can be scheduled by calling the appointment scheduling line: 608-243-0302. All clients will receive confirmation e-mails (if an email was provided) and an appointment reminder the day prior to their scheduled test. Scheduling staff are not able to answer medical questions or provide medical advice.

If you have more than one person in your household wanting testing, please try and schedule appointments for all household members within the same time slot(s); up to two household members per time slot will be allowed. If you have more than 2 household members, schedule consecutive time slots (e.g., 12:00pm and 12:15pm).

Testing is free. No ID is needed and you won't be asked for your immigration status. Spanish and Hmong translators are available onsite. You do not need to be a Dane County resident. Anyone 4-17 years old must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian authorized to give consent for the COVID-19 test on their behalf. Paper registration forms can be used at this site to test 4 year olds. The Alliant test site cannot test people under 5 years of age because the digital COVID Connect system does not allow it.

Test types available at South Madison Site:  PCR tests, and antigen tests. Both tests involve swabbing a sample from about one inch inside your nose.  People tested at our test sites with a PCR test usually hear back in 12-48 hours, but test results can take longer. Antigen test results take about 15 minutes. See our blog post for an explanation about what the tests can and cannot tell us, and if you'll need a confirmatory PCR test after an Antigen test or not. Both tests will only tell us if you have COVID-19 right now. They do not tell us if you had COVID-19 in the past.

This is not drive-up testing. You will need to enter the building. For a free ride to the site, call the Public Health Transportation Line at (608) 243-0420. A transportation company will then call you to schedule the ride. It’s required that you wear a cloth face covering when using this service.

Until you have your test results, limit contact with others. This is very important, especially if you have been exposed to someone diagnosed with COVID-19, or if you have symptoms like fever, cough, and sore throat.

For more info on getting your test results, visit the PHMCD website.