From the Essex County Executive’s Office:
Essex County Officials Announce Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Screenings Will Continue In Essex County Weequahic Park
Essex County Residents can Register for an Appointment Here.
Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr., Freeholder President Brendan Gill and Vice President Wayne Richardson announced that testing for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) will continue in Essex County Weequahic Park. Three additional dates have been scheduled for Monday, May 4th, Wednesday, May 6th and Friday, May 8th. Screenings are for Essex County residents and are by appointment only. They will be scheduled from 9 a.m. to 12 noon; 600 tests will be available each day. Residents must arrive by car.
“The only way we are going to know how many people have been infected with the Coronavirus is to test as many people as we can. Gov. Phil Murphy understands this and has called for increased testing throughout the state. We are pleased to have been able to expand the capacity of our testing site in Weequahic Park in Newark and continue to offer additional dates. Essex County residents who want to get tested can visit www.EssexCOVID.org or call 973-324-9950,” DiVincenzo, Gill and Richardson said. “We continue to urge our residents to take precautions to prevent the spread of the virus, which include practicing social distancing, washing their hands and staying indoors. We are in a public health crisis and the actions we take today will help reduce the virus’ impact,” they said.
The screenings are being offered to all Essex County residents who wish to get tested. Testing is by appointment only. To make an appointment, residents can visit www.EssexCOVID.org or call the Essex County Office of Emergency Management at 973-324-9950. (The call-in center will be open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.) Appointments will be scheduled from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. Anyone making an appointment will receive a confirmation number; residents must bring the confirmation number with them to their appointment.
Tests are being offered free of charge to Essex County residents. Having health insurance is not a requirement. Follow up contact will be made to assess the continuing health of the person who completed the screening.
Medical personnel from RWJBarnabas Health System, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, University Hospital, Hackensack Hospital, Essex County Hospital and nurses from public schools in Essex County are staffing the testing sites and call-in center. Security at the site is being provided by the Essex County Sheriff’s Office and Newark Police Department.
“We thank the nurses, law enforcement officers and first responders who have stepped up to the front lines by working at our testing site. We appreciate their professionalism and for making our site run smoothly and efficiently,” DiVincenzo, Gill and Richardson said.
Essex County will continue to administer the virus screening as long as supplies of test kits, gowns, facial masks and gloves last.
Residents can help stop the spread of Novel Coronavirus by washing their hands frequently, using hand sanitizer after touching hard surfaces, staying home if they feel sick, practicing social distancing and avoiding spending any time in crowds of people. Residents are also reminded to adhere to restrictions enacted by Governor Phil Murphy, which include a curfew between the hours of 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. and restrict their traveling unless it is absolutely necessary.
