Milwaukee preparing for National Guard COVID testing redeployment

By: Mark Stevens

Posted: Sep 29, 2020 3:08 PM CDT

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- After months of National Guard COVID testing in Milwaukee, the city is making plans for an eventual redeployment of the guard to other parts of the state.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barret said state health officials have said the guard is needed elsewhere with higher COVID burdens.

Barrett said currently Milwaukee County ranks 49 out of the state's 72 counties for the total number of cases per county population.

City workers have begun training to take over from the guard, and Barret said the city is finalizing the details of such a transition.

He said the city is helping health center winterize their testing facilities and the city is looking at having COVID testing combined with the city's flu clinics in some fashion.

"We really have begun working on a plan to transition our community testing as state health officials are looking to deploy National Guard members across the state," said Barrett.

The state will continue paying for the testing operation with federal CARES Act money.