Free Coronavirus Testing Event Coming To West Caldwell

WEST CALDWELL, NJ — Essex County will hold free coronavirus testing in West Caldwell on Thursday, Sept. 10. The event is part of the county’s ongoing satellite testing series.

Testing will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. at IOUE Local 68, 14 Fairfield Place in West Caldwell.

The tests are by appointment only and are being offered to Essex County residents free of charge. To make an appointment, visit www.EssexCovid.org or call 973-877-8456.

Here’s how it works, officials said:

“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. 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.”

“Bringing testing access to different areas of Essex County, is an important step in protecting the health of our residents and our communities,” Board of Commissioners President Brendan Gill said. “Widespread testing is crucial to stopping the spread of the virus, and our satellite testing sites will be of significant help in this regard.”

“Unfortunately, Essex County leads the state in the number of deaths caused by the coronavirus,” County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said.

“Our fight against this deadly disease is far from over and we must remain vigilant and aggressive to combat it,” DiVincenzo added.

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