LA CROSSE, Wis.— CDC Director Robert Redfield recently visited Madison to see how the UW-System was doing with COVID-19 testing, and it turns out he was impressed.

Now, with resources from the federal government, a new partnership is expanding testing on campuses to the public.

Wisconsin has the third-highest number of COVID-19 cases in the country based on population size.

UW System Interim President Tommy Thompson said campuses across the state are stepping up to help out their communities.

“The only way we break this is by getting people with the virus away from other people,” Thompson said after touring the surge testing site in La Crosse Thursday.

The former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary and Wisconsin governor said that starts with everyone getting tested—even if they don't feel any symptoms.

“That's the only way we break this spread by getting those asymptomatics, young people usually that don't have any signs that they're sick but they're still spewing out the virus,” Thompson said.

To help make that possible, the U.S. Department of Health provided 250,000 rapid-result antigen tests that are free to students, staff, and community members.

UW-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow is proud to have a surge testing site on his campus, which is one of 13 in the state at all UW-System campuses.

“Our university, we really want to do everything we can be doing to be part of the solution and this testing is a big part of that,” Gow said.

Rear Admiral Nancy Knight, MD said the partnership with the CDC to make more tests available will make a big difference in Wisconsin, but the effort will only go so far.

“It's your behavior, it's your actions that are able to control the pandemic,” Knight said. “One of those actions is getting tested.”

Knight reminded people to keep the three W's in mind: wear a mask, wash your hands, and watch your distance from others.

If you want to get a free COVID-19 test at a UW campus, you can schedule an appointment here.