Mercer County’s appointment-only, drive-up testing site for COVID-19 has tested 266 patients since opening on Tuesday.

“Our team is keeping up with the demand and we have not had to turn anyone away because of a lack of test kits,” Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes said.

The testing center at Quaker Bridge Mall in Lawrence is by appointment only for symptomatic Mercer County residents age 18 or older who have a prescription from their primary health care provider (PCP). If you are symptomatic for COVID-19 and want to be tested, contact your doctor.

Your doctor must fax your prescription to the site’s appointment makers.  Those who show up and who do not have an appointment will not be able to be tested.

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

Mr. Hughes praised the staff handling patients at the test site, which includes medical professionals from Mercer County’s hospital partners, County employees and Medical Reserve Corps volunteers.

“We have a great group of people working at the test site,” he said. “They are smart, compassionate and efficient.”

The County Executive also applauded Café Du Pain in Lawrence and Jim Hines, owner of Mercer Oaks Catering in West Windsor, for donating food and beverages for the test site workers all week.

Mercer County has contracted with Bio-Reference Laboratories, which is providing testing for individuals who are symptomatic and have been scheduled through their PCP.

To be eligible for testing, an individual must be examined by a PCP. The PCP will determine the need for the test based on symptoms. No one should be tested without being symptomatic. If the PCP deems a test is necessary, they will fax a prescription to the Mercer County call center with the patient’s phone number. Staff will then call the patient, take registration information and schedule an appointment, providing 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 are not permitted.

If you believe you may have symptoms of COVID-19, the State of New Jersey’s COVID-19 Information Hub provides a self-assessment tool that will help you determine whether you should be tested. Visit self.covid19.nj.gov.

PHOTOS: Hospital nurses (wearing full personal protective equipment) and Medical Reserve Corps volunteers at the COVID-19 testing site on Thursday. Mercer County Division of Public Health employee Anil Sharma working at the site.

The nationwide shortage of personal protective equipment needed in the battle against COVID-19 is impacting first responders and health care professionals in Mercer County, and the County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is asking for your help.

If you, your organization or someone you know can donate of any of the items listed below to aid Mercer County’s first responders and health care professionals, please complete the form at one of the links provided.

• N95 Masks
• Eye Protectors (Face Shield; Goggles; Other Eye Protectors)
• Sterile Gowns
• Medically Rated Gloves
• Regular Masks
• Surgical Masks
• Procedural Masks
• Alternative respirators that OSHA has given permission to use in health care during this historic pandemic
• Disinfectant Wipes
• Other Disinfecting Products

Please fill out the electronic PPE -Equipment Donation Form or download the PPE-Equipment Donation Form and email it to the Mercer County Office of Emergency Management at oem@mercercounty.org or fax it to (609) 799-7067. You can also reach out to OEM at (609) 281-7228.

WASH YOUR HANDS. STAY AT HOME.

To mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and protect the capacity of New Jersey’s health care system for the state’s most vulnerable, all residents are under a stay-at-home order issued by Gov. Phil Murphy. Executive Order No. 107 provides for certain exceptions, such as obtaining essential goods or services, seeking medical attention, visiting family or close friends, reporting to work, or engaging in outdoor activities. It also directs the closure of all non-essential retail businesses to the public. Find more information at COVID19.nj.gov.

PREVENTION

To ensure the lowest chance of obtaining the virus, and spreading the virus to others:

• Practice social distancing
• Avoid touching your nose, eyes and mouth
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash
• Wash your hands frequently, especially before eating, after exiting a densely populated area, and after coughing and sneezing
• Disinfect personal items regularly

SYMPTOMS

Symptoms – fever, cough, shortness of breath – can appear between 2-14 days after exposure, though some people may not have any symptoms while still being contagious. It’s also important to consider whether you’ve been in contact with an infected person, as well as any symptoms you may be experiencing.

If you believe you’ve been infected and you are not in immediate danger, you should contact your doctor by phone. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911, and notify the dispatch personnel that you may have COVID-19.

CURRENT STATUS

The New Jersey Department of Health on April 2 announced 3,489 new positive cases, bringing the total of positive cases in the state to 25,590 with 537 deaths. The most positive cases are in Bergen County, which has 4,099; Mercer County has 386, with three deaths. Visit the New Jersey Department of Health’s COVID-19 Dashboard  for more information.

The CDC on April 2 announced a total of 213,144 cases of COVID-19 in the United States, and a total of 4,513 deaths, with 55 locations (50 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, North Mariana Islands and U.S. Virgin Islands) reporting cases. This includes both confirmed and presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 reported to CDC or tested at CDC since Jan. 21, 2020. State and local public health departments are now testing and publicly reporting their cases.

This is a rapidly evolving situation. For more information about COVID-19 visit covid19.nj.gov or cdc.gov.