Photo Courtesy of CDC This illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, depicts coronavirus. The spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion when viewed electron microscopically, which gives the virus its name.
ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. announced that Essex County is expanding its COVID-19 testing initiative to include satellite testing sites throughout the county in addition to continuing to operate its drive-through testing center in Weequahic Park in Newark. The satellite sites, which opened May 21, offer saliva tests; the Weequahic Park site will continue to offer nasal swab testing. The tests are by appointment only and are being offered to Essex County residents free of charge. To make an appointment, visit www.EssexCovid.org or call 973-324-9950.
“Unfortunately, Essex County leads the state in the number of deaths caused by the coronavirus. Our fight against this deadly disease is far from over and we must remain vigilant and aggressive to combat it. Testing is a critical tool that will tell us exactly how widespread the virus is and who has been infected. Whether you are exhibiting symptoms of the coronavirus or not, we encourage residents to make an appointment and get tested,” DiVincenzo said. “We want to make it as easy as possible for Essex residents to have access to testing. The Weequahic site has been hugely successful and offering other satellite testing sites will make getting tested more convenient.”
“The primary focus of our county leadership during the coronavirus pandemic has been keeping our residents healthy and safe. Establishing COVID-19 satellite testing sites, and bringing testing access to different areas of Essex County, is an important step in protecting the health of our residents and our communities. Widespread testing is crucial to stopping the spread of the virus, and our satellite testing sites will be of significant help in this regard. I thank our county administration, and our health professionals, for their hard work in implementing this latest COVID-19 testing initiative,” Freeholder President Brendan Gill said.
Satellite testing has already been held at Essex Golf Center in Roseland. Testing will be held Tuesday, May 26, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Essex County Public Works, 99 West Bradford Ave. in Cedar Grove; 200 appointments will be available. Testing will be held Thursday, May 28, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Codey Arena, 560 Northfield Ave. in West Orange; 250 appointments will be available. Additional dates will be announced.
The Weequahic Park testing site will be open from 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, May 27, and Friday, May 29. Additional dates will be added in June.
Testing is available to all Essex County residents whether they are showing symptoms of the virus or are asymptomatic. Residents are encouraged to get retested if they have taken the swab or saliva tests 14 days ago or more and have received negative test results.
To make an appointment, residents should visit www.EssexCOVID.org or call 973-324-9950. They will be required to complete a short questionnaire. When finished, they will be provided with an appointment time and a confirmation number. Residents should bring the confirmation number with them. They are asked to arrive 15 minutes before their scheduled appointment. Residents taking the COVID-19 saliva test should not eat, drink, smoke or chew gum 30 minutes prior to arrival.
Essex County opened its COVID-19 testing center in Weequahic Park on March 26 and has been conducting nasal swab testing on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. As of May 12, 4,901 tests have been administered in Weequahic Park with 1,839 of those tests being positive.
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