TOMS RIVER – The County’s COVID-19 drive thru test site at Ocean County College, will continue to provide testing to County residents during the week of September 7 but with shorter hours.
The facility’s new hours, start on September 8 and are 9 a.m. to noon, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The site is closed on Labor Day, September 7.
The site is now providing tests for both symptomatic and asymptomatic County residents and appointments remain a requirement.
“We continue to adjust the schedule to meet the needs of the public and also the staff. The time adjustment provides a better testing environment for the nurses administering the tests at the site,” Ocean County Public Health Coordinator Daniel Regenye said.
He added, “as we look our overall daily testing numbers, we have decided to cut back the testing by one hour, but we will continue to assess the situation as we move forward.”
As of July 6, Ocean County residents who do not show signs of the novel coronavirus have been able to get tested at the OCC drive thru.
Regenye said, “we have been providing tests to asymptomatic residents in order to increase testing opportunities in the community. We no longer require a script from a healthcare practitioner at the college drive thru, however appointments are still required.”
The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, fatigue, a dry cough and shortness of breath. Ocean County has also established a process to ensure that people with test results are informed in a timely manner and provided with guidance, consultation and next steps.
As of Sept. 3, Ocean County recorded 11, 287 cases of the coronavirus. To date, 8,481 coronavirus tests have been performed at the college testing site.
“This site has been the result of a successful partnership with the college, our area hospitals, Sheriff Michael Mastronardy and the Ocean County Office of Emergency Management, the Ocean County Health Department and a host of other collaborators who have come together to make this work for our citizens,” Ocean County Freeholder Director Joseph H. Vicari said.
He added, “by opening it up to people that are asymptomatic we have increased the number of people that can be tested in the County.”
All emergency responders can also access testing at the site. There are other locations and testing sites for asymptomatic people that have opened throughout the state with some located in Ocean County.
Ocean County Freeholder Gerry P. Little, who is liaison to the Ocean County Health Department said, “residents remain in their cars and medical personnel perform a nasal swab at the OCC site. We are working to make this convenient and more importantly safe for the public, the health care providers on site and staff.”
Once the test has been performed, it’s anticipated to take about three to five days for results to be returned.
Regenye said if residents have any questions, they can call the Health Department at 732-341-9700, Ext. 7411.
Proof of residency is required. To schedule an appointment for a test, Ocean County residents can visit the Ocean County Health Department website at ochd.org.
