COVID Test Seekers Told No Tests At South Jersey Emergency Rooms

SOMERS POINT, NJ — As coronavirus cases rise across the state, pharmacies and clinics are seeing an increased demand for COVID-19 testing. With tests hard to come by in stores, many are seeking testing at local hospitals.

But Shore Medical Center and AtlantiCare are urging non-symptomatic people to seek testing elsewhere. Both hospitals posted messages to their social media pages with a link to New Jersey’s testing site locator.

“As Covid-19 cases continue to spike, many community members have been coming to our emergency room to receive a Covid-19 test,” Shore Medical Center announced. “It is crucial for the health and safety of our staff and patients that we allocate the resources in the Emergency Department for those in need of Emergent Care.”

The hospital stressed that tests are available for people experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.

AtlantiCare released a similar statement, noting that the healthcare network does not offer community walk-in or scheduled COVID-19 testing at any of its hospital campuses.

“We have significant volumes of patients needing emergency care as well as an increase in the number of individuals who need to be hospitalized for COVID-19 and other illnesses,” AtlantiCare said on social media. “Because we need our teams ready and available to support our community members experiencing real emergencies, we ask that you seek care in the most appropriate setting.”

AtlantiCare advised people to consider other locations, such as community pharmacies.

Hackensack Meridian Health also advised residents not to come for testing.

"The emergency room should not be your primary destination if you are looking for a COVID test and have mild to moderate symptoms. You should only visit the emergency room if you experience symptoms that warrant immediate medical attention," according to Hackensack Meridian Health.

For more testing information, visit New Jersey's COVID-19 test finder.

The New Jersey Department of Health recently began offering free, at-home COVID-19 saliva test kits. UPS will ship the kit with next-day delivery, and a health care professional will virtually walk patients through the tests and answer questions. Find more info here.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced plans to open a mass coronavirus testing site in New Jersey.A location for the site has not been determined, but New Jersey Department of Health officials said Tuesday they are currently working with the CDC to determine where the surge testing site will be located. Read More: CDC To Open Mass COVID Testing Site In New Jersey

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