Essex County will hold free testing for the novel coronavirus COVID-19 in Caldwell and Glen Ridge next week, in addition to its standing test site in Weequahic Park.
The testing will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 14 at James Caldwell High School, 265 Westville Avenue, West Caldwell, and at the same time on Thursday, July 16 at the Glen Ridge Country Club, 555 Ridgewood Avenue, Glen Ridge.
The Weequahic Park testing site will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during July.
Essex County residents with or without symptoms are encouraged to get tested. Residents age 13 and older are welcome to get tested. 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. Testing is provided free of charge; health insurance is not required.
The test being given is a molecular diagnostic test, which involves spitting into a test tube. It tests for an active viral infection at the time of testing and is considered the most accurate. It takes less than 15 minutes to do the test and you remain in your car the whole time.
To make an appointment, residents should visit www.EssexCOVID.org or call 973-877-8456. 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.
