Need a test? New COVID mega testing center opens in New Jersey

Even as new omicron caseloads continue to drop, tens of thousands of New Jersey residents are still looking to get tested for COVID every day.

A new federal testing facility has just opened in Galloway, in a Stockton University residence hall less than a mile from the main campus, that will be providing up to 1,000 COVID tests a day, 7 days a week.

Omicron not over yet

After touring the facility with Atlantic county, state officials and representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Gov. Phil Murphy said “while it appears that the omicron tsunami is finally pulling back, we are in no position to say we are on dry ground.”

The governor stressed increasing testing capacity in Jersey is still important.

“Testing has been a critical tool that has kept us above the rapidly rising case-counts, testing allows us to pinpoint trouble spots and anticipate where resources need to go,” he said.

Why testing is important

Murphy pointed out “when you get tested and you know your COVID status, you can take the necessary steps and precautions to not only protect yourself and your family, but to further slow the spread through your community.”

“Sites like this are how we get ahead of COVID to stay, so we can return our state and our communities to a much-needed sense of normal," he said.

New Jersey now has more than 1,000 testing sites located all across the Garden State.

“Omicron inundated us once, we do not wish to see that happen again, and it can if we let our guards down,” he said.

Murphy pointed out appointments are not required at the new site, but Atlantic County officials are suggesting those wanting to be tested preregister to limit the chance of backups.

He added there are testing sites quite literally all across the state, and to find one nearest you go to covid19.nj.gov and click on the link for testing.”

The new facility will be operational for at least the next 3 weeks.

Another testing site in partnership with FEMA was opened at the end of December in East Orange.

You can contact reporter David Matthau at David.Matthau@townsquaremedia.com.