Essex County has added three more days to administer tests for the novel coronavirus COVID-19 after about 5,000 people who registered for this week’s testing did not receive an appointment.
Three additional dates have been scheduled for Monday, April 13; Wednesday, April 15 and Friday, April 17. But only 250 tests will be available each day so the three additional days won’t make much of a dent in the backlog.
The county said in an announcement earlier today that it has kept the registration of everyone who tried to get tested this week on file and put them on a waiting list. They will be given an appointment to get tested at Weequahic Park in the order in which their registration was accepted. Residents will be provided with a confirmation number that they must bring with them to their appointment.
Screenings are for Essex County residents only who are symptomatic of COVID-19 and are by appointment only. They will be scheduled from 9 a.m. to 12 noon on each of the three days and residents must arrive by car.
This morning, the county said that 6,549 Essex County residents have been tested for COVID-19 countywide and that 4,560 have tested negative. There have been 351 deaths attributed to COVID-19 in the county and 1,700. statewide.
