Cape May County officials announced Thursday the reopening of a car coronavirus testing site, spurred by increased demand due to the increase in tourists visiting during the peak summer season.
Last weekend, Cape Regional Health System informed the county that 60% of the COVID-19 swabs they performed were for patients who do not have a permanent residence in Cape May County, said Denis Brown, the administrative assistant for the owners. .
“As the summer has become busier and more people are around, we have brought the clinic back to help offset some of the demand for local testing,” said Brown. “They have been doing a great job testing, but they are just trying to get another test option because they are flooding with tourists.”
A 30-day summary of cases released by the county shows an increase among non-residents around the July 4 holiday, with around 20 infections reported. Since then, there has been a steady decline, up to four new cases of nonresidents, according to data reported Thursday.
The county health department and CompleteCare Health Network will restart test drives on July 30 by appointment only at the Cape May County Fire Academy at Cape May Court House starting at 8 am. No other testing dates have yet been announced.
Anyone with symptoms or exposure to the virus can be tested, but should first be evaluated through a telemedicine visit by a CompleteCare provider, according to a county press release. The test is free for those with or without symptoms and no copayment will be required for an evaluation.
Nasal saline test results are generally available within 3-4 days, but there may be delays due to increased testing across the country.
Brown said that as vacationers increase the county’s population during the summer, there has been increased demand. Companies are looking for tests for all employees when a person tests positive or is exposed to the virus, he said.
“There has been a lot of demand in the evidence, but we haven’t seen a big bang in the cases,” Brown said. “We have many people who want proof. We want to alleviate some of that demand for evidence out there. ”
The complete process for scheduling a COVID-19 test drive in Cape May County can be found at CompleteCareNJ.org/COVID19.
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Avalon Zoppo can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @AvalonZoppo.
