Data updated daily. Last updated November 25, 2020.
This dashboard provides information to the campus community and the public about the results of COVID-19 tests among current UW–Madison faculty, staff and students. UW–Madison will not disclose names or other information that could potentially identify a person who has tested positive for COVID-19.
Anyone who tests positive is directed to self-isolate and seek appropriate medical care. Contact tracers from University Health Services and Public Health Madison & Dane County will notify anyone believed to have been in close contact (more than 15 minutes within 6 feet) with someone who has tested positive. If you are contacted by UHS or PHMDC, please respond immediately to receive important health information.
See additional notes about the data.
Briefing, November 25, 2020
Note 11/25/20 – Due to the Thanksgiving recess, the COVID-19 dashboard will not be updated between Nov. 26 and Nov. 29. UW–Madison will continue to receive and review test results from on- and off-campus test sites and take actions as appropriate. The data will be updated on Monday, Nov. 30.
Test results: 27 students and 4 employees tested positive for COVID-19 from on-campus testing sites today. No positive test results for students or employees were reported from off-campus testing sites, though some results have been delayed from off-campus test sites and we continue to report results as we receive them.
The 7-day percent positive rate for students who tested on-campus is at 1.8 percent. The percent positive rate today is 1.1 percent.
Campus COVID-19 testing appointments: Due to increased testing demand as students travel home for the Thanksgiving recess, no UHS COVID-19 testing appointments remain for Wednesday. Limited appointments are available Friday. UW–Madison students and employees who travel or attend a gathering with people they don’t live with are encouraged to get tested for COVID-19 3-5 days and again 10-12 days after travel or gathering, and to self-quarantine during that time period.
UW–Madison is also offering a rapid antigen test called BinaxNow. Some BinaxNow tests may require confirmation with a PCR test, available on-site. Check all campus testing options to find the earliest possible appointments for PCR and Binax tests. Housing students will be tested according to a revised schedule to accommodate the holiday.
The Thanksgiving week schedule for campus testing sites is:
- Tuesday, Nov. 24: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, Nov. 25: 8 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- Thursday, Nov. 26: Closed
- Friday, Nov. 27: Kohl Center sites open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; other sites closed
- Saturday, Sunday, Nov. 28–29: Closed
Public Health Madison and Dane County also has information on other testing venues and holiday hours.
Isolation and quarantine: As of this morning, 45 students are in on-campus isolation and 28 are in Housing quarantine. Read more about quarantine, isolation and testing follow-up procedures.
Housing: Visitors are no longer allowed in residence halls and all Housing dine-in is now carryout, grab-and-go, or delivery only. Most residents will not return after Thanksgiving recess, though all students who live on campus should familiarize themselves with expectations for the rest of the semester.
Hospitalizations: We are not aware of any students or employees currently hospitalized with COVID-19.
Flu vaccine: UHS continues to offer the flu vaccine to students with SHIP. Public Health Madison & Dane County offers a free drive-through clinic at the Alliant Energy Center, available to all Dane County resident age 6 months and older, regardless of health insurance status. Flu vaccines are also available through primary care providers and at many pharmacies, grocery stores and big box retailers. Find an option near you.
How to stay safe: COVID-19 cases remain high in Wisconsin and in Dane County. With high levels of community spread, it is safest to assume that anyone could have or be susceptible to COVID-19 and to take appropriate precautions against transmitting or contracting the disease: limit trips out, avoid gathering in-person, practice physical distancing, wash hands frequently, stay home when sick, and wear a face covering in public.
A state of emergency and public health emergency remains in effect in Wisconsin, extending the face covering requirement in order to address hospital bed and staff shortages. A local order from Public Health Madison & Dane County remains in effect and includes a ban on indoor off-campus gatherings of any size. UW–Madison remains subject to state orders.
On-Campus Testing
This section presents detailed data about our on-campus testing program, administered by University Health Services. It does not include off-campus testing data provided by Public Health Madison & Dane County (PHMDC).
For testing information about all university members, including data from those tested off-campus and shared with us by PHMDC, visit this section below: On- and Off-Campus Testing.
On-Campus Positive Test Percentage
(2.9%)
(97.1%)
Testing Results By Day
| Date | Students positive (%) | Total student tests | Employees positive (%) | Total employee tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 24 | 27 (1.1%) | 2,372 | 4 (1.1%) | 367 |
| Nov 23 | 6 (0.9%) | 642 | 2 (3.1%) | 65 |
| Nov 22 | 17 (1.8%) | 933 | 0 (0.0%) | 82 |
| Nov 21 | 33 (1.8%) | 1,819 | 0 (0.0%) | 263 |
| Nov 20 | 28 (1.5%) | 1,917 | 2 (0.8%) | 256 |
| Nov 19 | 32 (1.6%) | 2,058 | 2 (0.7%) | 297 |
| Nov 18 | 63 (3.2%) | 1,956 | 2 (0.9%) | 226 |
| Nov 17 | 87 (3.5%) | 2,480 | 4 (1.4%) | 289 |
| Nov 16 | 0 (0.0%) | 1 | 0 (0.0%) | 0 |
| Nov 15 | 0 (0.0%) | 5 | 0 (0.0%) | 1 |
| Nov 14 | 76 (4.3%) | 1,759 | 5 (1.6%) | 309 |
| Nov 13 | 108 (4.0%) | 2,721 | 4 (1.1%) | 365 |
| Nov 12 | 88 (4.2%) | 2,090 | 6 (1.8%) | 329 |
| Nov 11 | 79 (4.2%) | 1,866 | 5 (1.8%) | 276 |
| Nov 10 | 43 (2.4%) | 1,765 | 8 (3.6%) | 221 |
| Nov 9 | 23 (4.1%) | 559 | 2 (2.7%) | 74 |
| Nov 8 | 11 (9.8%) | 112 | 0 (0.0%) | 20 |
| Nov 7 | 64 (3.2%) | 1,973 | 2 (0.8%) | 260 |
| Nov 6 | 62 (3.2%) | 1,919 | 5 (2.0%) | 251 |
| Nov 5 | 30 (2.2%) | 1,381 | 6 (2.3%) | 261 |
| Nov 4 | 45 (2.3%) | 1,995 | 4 (1.5%) | 272 |
| Nov 3 | 45 (2.1%) | 2,132 | 9 (3.4%) | 268 |
| Nov 2 | 7 (2.7%) | 258 | 1 (2.3%) | 44 |
| Nov 1 | 14 (3.9%) | 359 | 1 (1.4%) | 72 |
| Oct 31 | 41 (2.2%) | 1,841 | 3 (1.2%) | 260 |
| Oct 30 | 14 (1.2%) | 1,210 | 4 (2.3%) | 173 |
| Oct 29 | 26 (1.6%) | 1,577 | 8 (3.3%) | 244 |
| Oct 28 | 44 (2.2%) | 2,002 | 10 (3.7%) | 268 |
| Oct 27 | 32 (1.9%) | 1,660 | 9 (5.2%) | 172 |
| Oct 26 | 1 (2.4%) | 42 | 1 (6.3%) | 16 |
| Oct 25 | 9 (2.1%) | 438 | 2 (1.6%) | 126 |
| Oct 24 | 16 (1.3%) | 1,204 | 2 (1.6%) | 128 |
| Oct 23 | 7 (0.5%) | 1,284 | 3 (2.3%) | 132 |
| Oct 22 | 10 (0.8%) | 1,245 | 4 (2.6%) | 156 |
| Oct 21 | 27 (1.5%) | 1,784 | 1 (0.5%) | 189 |
| Oct 20 | 22 (1.4%) | 1,561 | 5 (4.1%) | 123 |
| Oct 19 | 3 (1.4%) | 214 | 1 (2.0%) | 51 |
| Oct 18 | 0 (0.0%) | 7 | 0 (0.0%) | 3 |
| Oct 17 | 11 (0.9%) | 1,208 | 1 (0.6%) | 169 |
| Oct 16 | 15 (1.0%) | 1,471 | 3 (1.5%) | 200 |
| Oct 15 | 16 (1.0%) | 1,679 | 4 (2.3%) | 176 |
| Oct 14 | 12 (0.6%) | 1,973 | 4 (1.7%) | 229 |
| Oct 13 | 16 (1.1%) | 1,397 | 1 (0.8%) | 129 |
| Oct 12 | 14 (2.8%) | 507 | 1 (1.2%) | 83 |
| Oct 11 | 7 (1.7%) | 403 | 0 (0.0%) | 110 |
| Oct 10 | 13 (1.0%) | 1,255 | 1 (0.7%) | 150 |
| Oct 9 | 15 (1.0%) | 1,534 | 4 (2.1%) | 190 |
| Oct 8 | 15 (0.8%) | 1,908 | 2 (1.0%) | 196 |
| Oct 7 | 11 (0.7%) | 1,670 | 1 (0.9%) | 111 |
| Oct 6 | 9 (0.7%) | 1,238 | 1 (0.6%) | 156 |
| Oct 5 | 0 (0.0%) | 1 | 0 (0.0%) | 0 |
| Oct 4 | 2 (0.8%) | 244 | 0 (0.0%) | 61 |
| Oct 3 | 14 (1.0%) | 1,427 | 1 (0.5%) | 208 |
| Oct 2 | 9 (0.8%) | 1,094 | 1 (1.4%) | 71 |
| Oct 1 | 9 (0.7%) | 1,337 | 0 (0.0%) | 111 |
| Sep 30 | 19 (1.2%) | 1,589 | 1 (0.6%) | 164 |
| Sep 29 | 15 (0.8%) | 1,804 | 1 (0.6%) | 178 |
| Sep 28 | 0 (0.0%) | 2 | 0 (0.0%) | 2 |
| Sep 27 | 11 (3.1%) | 357 | 0 (0.0%) | 98 |
| Sep 26 | 18 (2.3%) | 787 | 0 (0.0%) | 85 |
| Sep 25 | 20 (1.3%) | 1,500 | 2 (1.3%) | 158 |
| Sep 24 | 34 (2.9%) | 1,175 | 1 (1.0%) | 100 |
| Sep 23 | 34 (2.7%) | 1,251 | 0 (0.0%) | 115 |
| Sep 22 | 13 (2.0%) | 640 | 0 (0.0%) | 33 |
| Sep 21 | 3 (33.3%) | 9 | 0 (0.0%) | 1 |
| Sep 20 | 46 (5.7%) | 807 | 0 (0.0%) | 150 |
| Sep 19 | 64 (4.1%) | 1,553 | 0 (0.0%) | 111 |
| Sep 18 | 74 (5.2%) | 1,432 | 1 (0.9%) | 114 |
| Sep 17 | 86 (6.5%) | 1,330 | 1 (0.6%) | 178 |
| Sep 16 | 124 (7.3%) | 1,710 | 3 (1.6%) | 187 |
| Sep 15 | 10 (2.8%) | 356 | 1 (2.8%) | 36 |
| Sep 14 | 2 (8.0%) | 25 | 0 (0.0%) | 2 |
| Sep 13 | 187 (9.0%) | 2,087 | 1 (0.9%) | 107 |
| Sep 12 | 76 (7.5%) | 1,009 | 0 (0.0%) | 62 |
| Sep 11 | 67 (7.8%) | 858 | 0 (0.0%) | 84 |
| Sep 10 | 219 (9.8%) | 2,240 | 0 (0.0%) | 120 |
| Sep 9 | 290 (12.8%) | 2,264 | 0 (0.0%) | 138 |
| Sep 8 | 24 (19.5%) | 123 | 1 (20.0%) | 5 |
| Sep 7 | 20 (21.7%) | 92 | 0 (0.0%) | 2 |
| Sep 6 | 146 (7.7%) | 1,897 | 1 (0.7%) | 139 |
| Sep 5 | 117 (6.3%) | 1,845 | 1 (0.6%) | 167 |
| Sep 4 | 91 (6.1%) | 1,496 | 1 (0.7%) | 148 |
| Sep 3 | 38 (4.3%) | 878 | 0 (0.0%) | 110 |
| Sep 2 | 34 (3.8%) | 905 | 0 (0.0%) | 94 |
| Sep 1 | 49 (3.1%) | 1,590 | 0 (0.0%) | 71 |
| Aug 31 | 8 (1.0%) | 839 | 0 (0.0%) | 8 |
| Aug 30 | 14 (1.5%) | 930 | 0 (0.0%) | 52 |
| Aug 29 | 25 (2.2%) | 1,149 | 1 (1.4%) | 72 |
| Aug 28 | 14 (1.6%) | 878 | 0 (0.0%) | 61 |
| Aug 27 | 7 (0.6%) | 1,131 | 0 (0.0%) | 41 |
| Aug 26 | 19 (1.3%) | 1,484 | 1 (1.2%) | 86 |
| Aug 25 | 9 (1.9%) | 475 | 0 (0.0%) | 44 |
| Aug 24 | 0 (0.0%) | 0 | 0 (0.0%) | 0 |
| Aug 23 | 2 (1.2%) | 171 | 0 (0.0%) | 37 |
| Aug 22 | 3 (1.6%) | 186 | 0 (0.0%) | 51 |
| Aug 21 | 2 (0.9%) | 235 | 0 (0.0%) | 79 |
| Aug 20 | 0 (0.0%) | 193 | 0 (0.0%) | 129 |
| Aug 19 | 1 (0.5%) | 192 | 0 (0.0%) | 123 |
| Aug 18 | 5 (2.5%) | 201 | 0 (0.0%) | 126 |
| Aug 17 | 0 (0.0%) | 0 | 0 (0.0%) | 1 |
| Aug 16 | 0 (0.0%) | 8 | 0 (0.0%) | 27 |
| Aug 15 | 3 (7.5%) | 40 | 0 (0.0%) | 102 |
| Aug 14 | 1 (1.3%) | 80 | 0 (0.0%) | 175 |
| Aug 13 | 1 (2.7%) | 37 | 0 (0.0%) | 77 |
| Aug 12 | 1 (4.0%) | 25 | 3 (8.3%) | 36 |
| Aug 11 | 0 (0.0%) | 49 | 0 (0.0%) | 26 |
| Aug 10 | 0 (0.0%) | 0 | 0 (0.0%) | 0 |
| Aug 9 | 0 (0.0%) | 1 | 0 (0.0%) | 1 |
| Aug 8 | 1 (7.1%) | 14 | 0 (0.0%) | 18 |
| Aug 7 | 1 (8.3%) | 12 | 0 (0.0%) | 26 |
| Total | 3,476 (3.1%) | 113,428 | 173 (1.3%) | 13,616 |
On- and Off-Campus Testing
The charts below include positive test results from on-campus testing, which began August 6, and from off-campus testing shared with us by Public Health Madison & Dane County (PHMDC). Counts for a specific date reflect the date those test results came to us. The summary PHMDC data dates back to July 28.
PHMDC collects information on UW affiliation only for individuals who test positive. Therefore, the total number of tests and the percentage of tests that are positive for university employees and students tested off campus are not available.
Summary Data
The charts below include positive test results from on-campus testing, which began August 6, and from off-campus testing shared with us by Public Health Madison & Dane County (PHMDC). The summary PHMDC data dates back to July 28.
Total Positive Tests To Date
- Students
- 4530
- Employees
- 416
- Total
- 4946
Total Positive Tests by
Location Where Test Was Done
To date, 3,649 positive tests have come from on-campus testing and 1,297 have come from off-campus testing.
Data Notes
About the Data
- This dashboard features data from testing performed on and off campus of current students and employees. Public Health Madison & Dane County collects information on UW affiliation only for individuals who test positive. Therefore, the total number of tests and the percentage of tests that are positive for university employees and students tested off campus are not available.
- Positive test counts reported by UW–Madison and PHMDC may initially differ due to differences in the timing of reporting and the need to determine UW affiliation for those tested off campus.
- Data are updated by 2 p.m. daily.
- Campus testing is performed Monday through Friday. The daily number of test results will fluctuate throughout the week and will be lower early in the week.
- Data from a previous day may change if additional information becomes available.
- “Students” includes all currently enrolled students: undergraduate, graduate/professional and special students.
- “Employees” includes all currently employed faculty and staff. It does not include student and graduate employees; they are counted under students.
- This dashboard does not distinguish between students living on or off campus. The location where testing was performed does not correspond to the on- or off-campus status of a student or employee.
- The 7-day average of positive cases is the number of cases over the past 7 days divided by 7. The 7-day average percent positive is the number of positive test results over the past 7 days divided by the total number of tests done over the past 7 days.
- On September 3, 2020, the dashboard was updated to better integrate daily data provided to us by PHMDC. Specifically, this data is presented in the chart title New Positive Tests Reported By Day.
- On September 16, the dashboard was updated to more accurately represent employee or student status and to exclude patients with a previous positive test through UHS within the past 90 days, because people may test positive up to 90 days after their initial positive test.
- On October 2, we aligned Public Health Madison & Dane County testing data with on-campus testing data by assigning PHMDC results to the date the test results were first reported. Previously, we assigned PHMDC testing results to the date they were shared with UW–Madison, regardless of when they were first reported. This better aligns on- and off-campus testing dates and removes some artificial fluctuations in the data due to lags in off-campus test reports. In addition, we identified 43 students and employees who tested positive at on-campus testing sites but were being double counted in both on- and off-campus totals. We have removed these duplicates from the off-campus data.
- Questions? Email covidresponse@vc.wisc.edu
Notable events
August 6, 2020: First campus testing site opens on Henry Mall
August 25, 2020: Additional sites open at Ogg Hall and Frank Holt Center.
August 25-31, 2020: Students move into campus residence halls
September 2, 2020: First day of classes
September 7, 2020: Undergraduates directed to restrict movements through September 21
September 9, 2020: In-person classes paused from September 10–25.
September 26, 2020: Some in-person activity resumed.
October 6, 2020: Pedestrian and drive-up testing site opens at the Porter Boathouse.
Campus COVID-19 testing info
Smart Restart Testing Plan
Our three-part strategy for campus COVID-19 testing
COVID-19 testing for students and employees
Accessing testing and what do if you test positive or have had contact with someone who has
Accessibility Statement
UW-Madison is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive digital campus. The COVID-19 dashboard provides data to guide decisions for public health. If you encounter an accessibility barrier or to request an accommodation, please email web@umark.wisc.edu.