Data updated daily. Last updated October 23, 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, October 23, 2020
Test Results: There are 14 new positive COVID-19 cases reported today from on-campus testing sites, 10 students and 4 employees. There are no positive cases of UW–Madison students or employees reported from off-campus testing sites today. The percent positive rate today for students tested on campus is 0.8 percent; the 7-day percent positive rate is 1.2 percent.
How to stay safe: COVID-19 cases across Wisconsin are alarmingly high and some health care systems in the state are overwhelmed. Public Health Madison & Dane County is urging residents to stay vigilant and stay home, advising people to limit trips out, to avoid gathering in-person, to practice physical distancing, wash hands frequently, stay home when sick and to continue wearing masks, which should not be used in place of other protective measures.
The CDC recommends everyone over the age of 6 months get a flu vaccine. Due to COVID-19, it is important to protect yourself from the flu and help reduce the strain on the health system. UHS has added a flu shot clinic for students and employees on Oct. 26. and continues to offer the vaccine to students with SHIP. Off campus, flu vaccines are available through primary care providers and at many pharmacies, grocery stores and big box retailers. Find an option near you.
Testing appointments: Testing appointments remain available Monday through Friday, and include pedestrian and drive-up options. Check all campus testing locations in the MyUHS portal to find the earliest possible appointment.
Isolation and quarantine: As of this morning, 19 students are in on-campus isolation and 19 are in Housing quarantine, in addition to those in fraternity and sorority chapter houses. Read more about quarantine, isolation and testing follow-up procedures.
Hospitalizations: We are not aware of any students or employees currently hospitalized with COVID-19. However, state and local hospitalizations for COVID-19 are at a record high and Dane County’s health systems are making adjustments to non-emergency and non-urgent procedures and services in order to prioritize the pandemic-related health care needs of our community.
COVID-19 in our community: Public Health Madison & Dane County recently announced that while individuals will continue to receive test results, contact tracers may not be able to follow up with everyone who tests positive and their close contacts. However, UHS contact tracing continues to operate normally and handles contact tracing for anyone identified as a UW–Madison student or employee, and for their close contacts.
Cases have been on the rise in every Wisconsin county since September 1. This includes counties with and without a college campus. This is the time of year when respiratory viruses typically begin to spread in communities. Due to the actions the university took to contain a rise in cases early in the semester, including robust testing, isolation of positive students, and quarantines, COVID-19 cases have remained low on campus since the third week of September. UW–Madison remains committed to doing its part to keep transmission low and encourages all Wisconsinites to remain vigilant, follow public health guidance, and to do their part to limit the spread of COVID-19.
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
(3.2%)
(96.8%)
Testing Results By Day
| Date | Students positive (%) | Total student tests | Employees positive (%) | Total employee tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 22 | 10 (0.8%) | 1,246 | 4 (2.6%) | 155 |
| Oct 21 | 27 (1.5%) | 1,787 | 1 (0.5%) | 185 |
| Oct 20 | 22 (1.4%) | 1,562 | 5 (4.2%) | 120 |
| Oct 19 | 3 (1.4%) | 213 | 1 (2.0%) | 51 |
| Oct 18 | 0 (0.0%) | 7 | 0 (0.0%) | 3 |
| Oct 17 | 11 (0.9%) | 1,209 | 1 (0.6%) | 165 |
| Oct 16 | 15 (1.0%) | 1,474 | 3 (1.6%) | 190 |
| Oct 15 | 16 (1.0%) | 1,680 | 4 (2.3%) | 174 |
| Oct 14 | 13 (0.7%) | 1,968 | 3 (1.3%) | 227 |
| Oct 13 | 16 (1.2%) | 1,396 | 1 (0.8%) | 128 |
| 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%) | 1,256 | 1 (0.7%) | 148 |
| Oct 9 | 15 (1.0%) | 1,534 | 4 (2.1%) | 189 |
| Oct 8 | 15 (0.8%) | 1,911 | 2 (1.1%) | 189 |
| Oct 7 | 11 (0.7%) | 1,663 | 1 (0.9%) | 108 |
| Oct 6 | 9 (0.7%) | 1,238 | 1 (0.7%) | 155 |
| Oct 5 | 0 (0.0%) | 1 | 0 (0%) | 0 |
| Oct 4 | 2 (0.8%) | 244 | 0 (0.0%) | 61 |
| Oct 3 | 14 (1.0%) | 1,411 | 1 (0.5%) | 205 |
| Oct 2 | 10 (0.9%) | 1,097 | 0 (0.0%) | 68 |
| Oct 1 | 9 (0.7%) | 1,341 | 0 (0.0%) | 106 |
| Sep 30 | 19 (1.2%) | 1,590 | 1 (0.6%) | 162 |
| Sep 29 | 15 (0.8%) | 1,802 | 1 (0.6%) | 177 |
| Sep 28 | 0 (0.0%) | 2 | 0 (0.0%) | 2 |
| Sep 27 | 11 (3.1%) | 358 | 0 (0.0%) | 97 |
| Sep 26 | 18 (2.3%) | 790 | 0 (0.0%) | 82 |
| Sep 25 | 20 (1.3%) | 1,504 | 2 (1.3%) | 154 |
| Sep 24 | 34 (2.9%) | 1,174 | 1 (1.0%) | 100 |
| Sep 23 | 34 (2.7%) | 1,250 | 0 (0.0%) | 115 |
| Sep 22 | 13 (2.0%) | 639 | 0 (0.0%) | 33 |
| Sep 21 | 3 (33.3%) | 9 | 0 (0.0%) | 1 |
| Sep 20 | 46 (5.7%) | 805 | 0 (0.0%) | 150 |
| Sep 19 | 64 (4.2%) | 1,539 | 0 (0.0%) | 106 |
| Sep 18 | 75 (5.2%) | 1,434 | 0 (0.0%) | 111 |
| Sep 17 | 86 (6.5%) | 1,332 | 1 (0.6%) | 175 |
| Sep 16 | 125 (7.3%) | 1,711 | 2 (1.1%) | 185 |
| Sep 15 | 10 (2.8%) | 357 | 1 (2.9%) | 35 |
| Sep 14 | 2 (8.0%) | 25 | 0 (0.0%) | 2 |
| Sep 13 | 187 (9.0%) | 2,087 | 1 (1.0%) | 105 |
| Sep 12 | 76 (7.5%) | 1,012 | 0 (0.0%) | 59 |
| Sep 11 | 67 (7.8%) | 859 | 0 (0.0%) | 83 |
| Sep 10 | 219 (9.8%) | 2,244 | 0 (0.0%) | 114 |
| Sep 9 | 290 (12.8%) | 2,267 | 0 (0.0%) | 134 |
| Sep 8 | 24 (19.5%) | 123 | 1 (25.0%) | 4 |
| Sep 7 | 20 (21.7%) | 92 | 0 (0.0%) | 2 |
| Sep 6 | 146 (7.7%) | 1,896 | 1 (0.7%) | 139 |
| Sep 5 | 117 (6.3%) | 1,849 | 1 (0.6%) | 163 |
| Sep 4 | 91 (6.1%) | 1,497 | 1 (0.7%) | 147 |
| Sep 3 | 38 (4.3%) | 878 | 0 (0.0%) | 109 |
| Sep 2 | 34 (3.8%) | 907 | 0 (0.0%) | 91 |
| Sep 1 | 49 (3.1%) | 1,591 | 0 (0.0%) | 70 |
| Aug 31 | 8 (1.0%) | 841 | 0 (0.0%) | 6 |
| Aug 30 | 14 (1.5%) | 930 | 0 (0.0%) | 52 |
| Aug 29 | 26 (2.3%) | 1,151 | 0 (0.0%) | 68 |
| Aug 28 | 14 (1.6%) | 878 | 0 (0.0%) | 61 |
| Aug 27 | 7 (0.6%) | 1,134 | 0 (0.0%) | 37 |
| Aug 26 | 19 (1.3%) | 1,488 | 1 (1.2%) | 82 |
| Aug 25 | 9 (1.9%) | 475 | 0 (0.0%) | 44 |
| Aug 24 | 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%) | 234 | 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%) | 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 (4.4%) | 23 | 3 (8.3%) | 36 |
| Aug 11 | 0 (0.0%) | 49 | 0 (0.0%) | 26 |
| Aug 10 | 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 (7.1%) | 14 | 0 (0.0%) | 26 |
| Total | 2,303 (3.4%) | 67,111 | 52 (0.7%) | 7,111 |
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
- 3187
- Employees
- 152
- Total
- 3339
Total Positive Tests by
Location Where Test Was Done
To date, 2,355 positive tests have come from on-campus testing and 984 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.
- Positive tests are reported on the day we received the results. 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.