Pierce County was approved to continue weekly COVID-19 testing at the Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services (PPCS) drive-thru site. The community is encouraged to keep using this site. AZ Snyder, Health Office/Public Health Director states, “While we wait for widespread community access to a vaccine, testing remains an important tool. People who have been exposed to the virus or those with even the mildest of symptoms need to get tested because we need to find out if they're infected and if they've been transmitting the virus to others.”

Testing at this site is simple and easy. The Wisconsin Army National Guard administers a PCR COVID-19 test, which is considered the gold standard for detecting the virus. Then, results are available within just a few days. Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms or who has been in close contact with someone who tested positive for the virus is eligible for testing. Please note the following:

•All testing is drive-up without appointments. Pre-registration on the day of your test is recommended to speed up the testing process: https://register.covidconnect.wi.gov/

•PPCS is located at the corner or Hwy 10 and Hwy 63 in Ellsworth (enter the testing site on Hwy 63).

•The test is free and no insurance is needed.

•Parents/guardians must be present to consent for testing minors aged 5 to 17. Children under age 5 are not eligible for testing at this site.

Additional community testing sites are available in the region. Check out the Western WI Public Health Readiness Consortium for a listing of locations: http://wwphrc.org/covid-19-community-testing/.

For more information about symptoms and testing, visit the Pierce County COVID-19 Hub: https://covid-piercecounty-wi.hub.arcgis. com/.