COVID 19 TESTING CONTINUES AT OCEAN COUNTY COLLEGE; CHANGE OF HOURS STARTS WEEK OF MAY 11

OCEAN COUNTY will continue to offer residents testing for the coronavirus at a drive thru testing site at Ocean County College, Toms River, during the week of May 11 however the hours for testing will be scaled back.

Testing will be done at the site by appointment on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays. The new hours will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on those days.

“We have noticed the number of appointments being made for the site have been decreasing so we need to adjust the site schedule,” said Ocean County Public Health Coordinator Daniel Regenye. “The college drive thru testing site has gone very smoothly and we review the operations there weekly.

“We are adjusting the hours at this time,” Regenye said. “Should we need to make changes again in the future we will do so.”

The testing requirements remain the same.

“It remains imperative that people follow the requirements to be tested at the college,” Regenye said. “We do not want anyone to show up at this testing site without following the requirements we have put in place. We are not going to do any health screenings at the site. It is just for testing for the virus.”

Ocean County Health Department officials are reminding residents of the requirements to be tested include:

• You must be an Ocean County resident and have identification.
• You must have a healthcare practitioner script.
• You must make an online appointment at ochd.org.
• You must be symptomatic.
• Entry to the college site is from the Hooper Avenue entrance.

Regenye said that any practitioner (including Nurse Practitioner, Advanced Practice Nurse, Medical Doctor, Physician Assistant etc.) who has “prescriptive” privileges in New Jersey can write a script for COVID testing, it does not necessarily have to be a physician.

In addition, Regenye stressed that with many health care providers currently doing telemedicine, individuals do not need to see a physician in person to obtain the necessary script.

The hospitals assisting in staffing the testing site – both Hackensack Meridian Health and RWJ Barnabas Healthcare System – have telemedicine opportunities to assist Ocean County residents obtain the required healthcare practitioner script before traveling to the testing center.

The telemedicine services at the hospitals can be accessed at:

• Hackensack Meridian Health (Ocean Medical Center, Southern Ocean Medical Center) https://www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/covid19/
• RWJ Barnabas Healthcare System (Community Medical Center, Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus) RWJBHtelemed.org use code RWJBH15“This drive thru testing site has been a cooperative effort by a number of agencies,” said Ocean County Freeholder Director Joseph H. Vicari. “It has tested 3,481 residents during the coronavirus pandemic so far.”Partners in the testing site include U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the Ocean County Office of Emergency Management under Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy, the Ocean County Health Department, RWJ Barnabas Health Southern Region and Hackensack Meridian Health and Ocean County College.“Residents remain in their cars and medical personnel perform a nasal swab at the OCC site,” said Ocean County Freeholder Gerry P. Little, who is liaison to the Ocean County Health Department. “We are working to make this convenient and more importantly safe for the public, the health care providers on site and staff.”

  Regenye said the decrease in appointments could be the result of fewer people getting the virus and also more testing opportunities becoming available in Ocean County.

  As of May 7, Ocean County has recorded 7,192 cases of the coronavirus. The positivity rate of those tested is 21 percent.

  Regenye emphasized that anyone getting the test should continue self-isolating after receiving it.

  “If you have symptoms, you should be returning home immediately after being tested and continue self- quarantining,” he said. “If you have the coronavirus you will be spreading it if you are not isolating.”

  Once the test has been performed, it’s anticipated to take about three to five days for results to be returned.

  “All the results will be available on the BioReference Laboratories Patient Portal: Bioreference.com/patients/ and through the Ocean County Health Department residents will be notified whether they test positive or negative,” Regenye said.

  The most common symptoms of COVID 19 are fever, fatigue, a dry cough and shortness of breath. Ocean County has also established a process to ensure that people with test results are informed in a timely manner and provided with guidance, consultation and next steps.