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Mercer County to open a coronavirus drive-up testing site at the Quaker Bridge Mall on Tuesday

Mercer County, in collaboration with several healthcare organizations, will open an appointment-only, drive-up coronavirus testing site on Tuesday, March 31 at Quaker Bridge Mall in Lawrence.

The testing center is by appointment only for symptomatic Mercer County residents age 18 or older who have a prescription from a primary care doctor. If you are symptomatic for COVID-19 and want to be tested at the drive-up site, you must contact your doctor first.

The testing center, which initially will be open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., is a collaborative effort between the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Hamilton, Capital Health System, St. Francis Medical Center in Trenton, and the Trenton Health Team.

“Testing for COVID-19 is necessary to identify and isolate people with infections,” Hughes said. “When it comes to setting up a testing site, we face the same challenges as do other jurisdictions, such as securing testing kits and the personal protective equipment for staff. I thank the County’s Office of Emergency Management, our health care partners, Quaker Bridge Mall management and the leadership at Lawrence Township for clearing the hurdles necessary to get this site online.”

Mercer County has contracted with Bio-Reference Laboratories to provide testing for people who are symptomatic and have been scheduled through their doctors. To be eligible for testing, a person must be examined by a doctor. The doctor will determine the need for the test based on symptoms. No one should be tested without being symptomatic.

If the doctor decides a test is necessary, the doctor will fax a prescription to the Mercer County call center with the patient’s phone number. Staff members will then call the patient, take registration information, schedule an appointment, and provide testing site instructions.

For the health, safety and security of staff at the site, patients will not be permitted to leave their vehicles. Walk-ups will not be permitted.

If you believe you may have symptoms of COVID-19, the State of New Jersey’s COVID-19 information hub offers a self-assessment tool that will help you determine whether you should see your doctor and be tested. For more information, visit self.covid19.nj.gov

Avatar of Krystal Knapp

Krystal Knapp is the founding editor of Planet Princeton. Follow her on Twitter @krystalknapp. She can be reached via email at editor AT planetprinceton.com. Send all letters to the editor and press releases to that email address.