Jump In Cornavirus Testing As Burlington County Expands Program

BURLINGTON COUNTY, NJ — More than 600 Burlington County residents have been tested for the coronavirus since the county moved its testing site and made home testing available, officials announced.

The number of positive cases in the county is also on the rise, as more than 335 Burlington County residents tested positive for the coronavirus from Oct. 6-13, according to officials. This constitutes a 4 percent increase.

“We know that testing is critical to combating the spread of the virus, so we’re pleased to see county residents and workers take advantage of our new expanded program,” Burlington County Health Director Dr. Herb Conaway said.

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On Oct. 5, the county announced a new program in which all Burlington County residents, students and persons working in the county will be eligible for the at-home coronavirus tests under a partnership between the county, Vault Medical Services of New Jersey, the Rutgers Clinical Genomics Laboratory and the state.

The following day, the county moved its testing site from the county health department to Lot 9 of the Rowan College at Burlington County Mount Laurel campus. Read more here: Burlington County Moving Coronavirus Testing To County College

So far, 365 people have been tested at the county college, and 247 people have been tested through the home testing program, according to officials. In all, more than 8,000 people have been tested through the county’s program since it launched in March.

“Testing provides our residents and workers with information they need for their own health and safety and for the health and safety of their family, friends and co-workers,” Conaway said. “By all of us working together and taking commonsense precautions — such as wearing masks in public and obeying social distancing rules — we can help control the spread of this deadly virus. We must not let down our guard. In fact, with cooler temperatures arriving and increased time spent indoors, we need everyone to be extra vigilant.”

Testing at Rowan College at Burlington County takes place every Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration is on site. The college is located at 900 College Circle, Mt. Laurel Township, NJ, 08054.

Under the home testing program, eligible residents will register online and be sent a home testing kit with instructions on how to collect a saliva sample and send it the Rutgers lab. Test results are expected to be returned within 72 hours.

To get a testing kit, visit www.homecovidtest.org to enroll. Children younger than 6 are ineligible for home testing.

When seeking a test, residents should have their health insurance card. Federal rules require the collection of insurance information to support the testing program. Under federal law, all forms of public and private insurance must cover FDA-approved coronavirus tests with no out-of-pocket costs to insured persons. Lack of insurance will not prevent you from using at-home coronavirus testing.

After eligibility is verified, residents will be emailed a testing code number and a link to Vault's webpage to request a county-funded test kit. The kit will be shipped overnight with instructions on how to schedule a Zoom tele-health meeting with a certified health care worker who will virtually oversee and instruct the resident about how to properly collect a saliva sample for shipment to Vault and the Rutgers lab for testing.

Residents will be notified of test results via email within 72 hours, according to Vault, which has a similar home-based testing program established and running in Passaic County.

The county and Vault will also conduct mobile testing clinics at locations throughout the county. Dates and locations for mobile clinics will be announced at a later date. The state is providing funding for the county's testing program from a portion of the state's federal aid from the CARES Act.

Conaway also encouraged residents of all ages to get a flu shot as soon as possible, as health officials are concerned about the overlap of the coronavirus pandemic with the upcoming influenza season. They are concerned that some residents could become infected with both illnesses. Read more here: Flu Shots More Important Than Ever Amid Pandemic, Virtua Says

A schedule of the county’s flu shot clinics is available online at https://www.co.burlington.nj.us/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1360.

The Burlington County Health Department is accepting appointments for its child immunization clinics on Mondays from 9:30 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Uninsured children and those covered by New Jersey Family Care Plan A aged 5 to 18 are eligible, along with any individuals of Native American or Alaskan Native descent.

To make an appointment, visit http://provider.kareo.com/dr-herbert-conaway#?view=booking.