UPDATED: Starting Monday, Jersey City to offer free COVID-19 testing to all residents

Starting Monday, Jersey City will offer free COVID-19 testing to all city residents, even those that have not been exhibiting symptoms, Mayor Steven Fulop announced.

By John Heinis/Hudson County View

“On Monday, #JerseyCity will expand testing and we will provide free Corona testing to ANY resident requesting it – even residents not showing any symptoms. We believe expanding our testing is important to getting our local economy back,” the mayor tweeted this morning.

“We will also be putting our most vulnerable communities and front line workers on regular testing rotations to both keep them safe and also to identify potential larger clusters earlier. Appointment are still necessary so please call the testing appointment line to move forward.”

This afternoon, the city released new details, indicating that 8,000 people were tested in April, including frontline workers, first responders, supermarket employees, and all city nursing home residents and staff.

“As one of the most densely populated areas in the region, our efforts to make free testing available has proven effective,” Health and Human Services Director Stacey Flanagan said in a statement.

“Now we want to extend testing to as many people as possible, and adding antibody testing will really bolster the expansive health and safety efforts we’ve put in place since day one.”

Anyone requesting a test can call the COVID-19 Testing Call Center at 201-547-5535, seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Testing will continue Monday through Friday at the drive-through site located in the southwest portion of the city at 575 NJ-440.

Additionally, in an effort to expand access to vulnerable residents, the walk-up testing site will operate on the rotating schedule below:

Mondays & Wednesdays – Outside Public Safety Headquarters located at 465 Marin Boulevard

Tuesdays – Mobile testing at various Jersey City Housing Authority locations

Thursdays – Mobile testing at various senior living facilities

Fridays – Mary McLeod Bethune Community Center located at 140 MLK Drive

As of yesterday, Jersey City has reported 5,144 cases of COVID-19 and 282 deaths, based on public data.

On Tuesday, Hoboken indicated that they would be opening their testing center to all residents, including those without symptoms.

The New Jersey Department of Health revealed this afternoon that there are 14,916 coronavirus cases and 798 deaths in Hudson County, the second and third most in the state by county, respectively.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new information.