Essex County Announces Latest Free Coronavirus Test Events

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Essex County announced the locations and dates of its latest round of free coronavirus testing events for local residents on Friday.

“Unfortunately, Essex County leads the state in the number of deaths caused by the coronavirus,” Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said. “Our fight against this deadly disease is far from over and we must remain vigilant and aggressive to combat it.”

The upcoming events take place at the following dates and places:

• Tuesday, Feb. 2 - Essex County Hall of Records Complex, Employee Parking Deck, 50 West Market Street, Newark, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
• Thursday, Feb. 4 - Essex County Department of Public Works, 99 West Bradford Avenue, Cedar Grove, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 6 - Essex County South Mountain Recreation Complex, Commuter Parking Deck, 560 Northfield Avenue, West Orange, from 8 a.m. to noon

Here’s how it works, county officials said:

“Essex County residents with or without symptoms are encouraged to get tested. Residents age 8 years and older are welcome to get tested. Residents are encouraged to get retested if they have taken the swab or saliva tests 14 days ago or more and have received negative test results. Testing is provided free of charge; health insurance is not required. To make an appointment, residents should visit www.EssexCOVID.org or call 973-877-8456. They will be required to complete a short questionnaire. When finished, they will be provided with an appointment time and a confirmation number. Residents should bring the confirmation number with them. They are asked to arrive 15 minutes before their scheduled appointment.”

Officials plan to announce additional dates in the future.

“Our COVID-19 testing site in Weequahic Park [in Newark] has successfully provided Essex County residents with local access to testing,” County Commission President Wayne Richardson said.

“Through the hard work of our county leadership, and our health professionals, our satellite testing sites will now provide us with the ability to bring COVID-19 testing to multiple municipalities throughout the county,” Richardson said.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Sign up for Patch email newsletters.