Essex County Continues Free Coronavirus Testing: See New Dates

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Essex County continues to hold its free coronavirus testing for local residents, with events scheduled in Newark, Cedar Grove and West Orange.

Upcoming testing locations and dates include:

• NEWARK - Tuesday, March 9, Essex County Hall of Records Complex, Employee Parking Deck, 50 West Market Street, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
• CEDAR GROVE - Thursday, March 11, Essex County Department of Public Works, 99 West Bradford Avenue, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
• WEST ORANGE - Saturday, March 13, Essex County South Mountain Recreation Complex, Commuter Parking Deck, 560 Northfield Avenue, West Orange, 8 a.m. to noon

Additional dates will be announced in the future, county officials said.

Here’s how it works:

“Essex County residents with or without symptoms are encouraged to get tested. Residents age 8 years 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.”

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

“Our fight against this deadly disease is far from over, and we must remain vigilant and aggressive to combat it,” DiVincenzo said. “Testing is a critical tool that will tell us exactly how widespread the virus is and who has been infected.”

“Whether you are exhibiting symptoms of the coronavirus or not, we encourage residents to make an appointment and get tested,” DiVincenzo said.

Essex County Commission President Wayne Richardson said the site in Weequahic Park in Newark has successfully provided Essex County residents with local access to testing.

“Our satellite testing sites will now provide us with the ability to bring COVID-19 testing to multiple municipalities throughout the county,” Richardson said. “It’s clear that expanding our testing capabilities is the proper course of action.”

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Sign up for Patch email newsletters.