Politicians Request South Jersey Coronavirus Drive-Thru Tests

SOUTH JERSEY, NJ — Tests for the novel coronavirus have become more accessible throughout New Jersey. Drive-thru sites have opened up throughout the state.

But some politicians have noted a lack of drive-thru testing sites in South Jersey. Several sites have opened in the region, including Burlington County and Ocean County. However, those are only open to county residents.

Congressman Jeff Van Drew publicly requested a drive-thru center for South Jersey residents.

He views western Atlantic County as the most accessible area. The congressman has discussed options with Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson, who he says has been "at the forefront of this issue."

“To stay ahead of the negative curve of this illness," Van Drew said, "we must offer the same testing and health resources to all of our citizens, and I am asking FEMA and Governor Murphy to install a testing site in South Jersey."

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Murphy and New Jersey's full bipartisan congressional delegation have also requested that the Federal Emergency Management Agency open a third federally backed testing site in the state.

The state's congressional delegation sent a letter Friday to FEMA Administrator Peter T. Gaynor. New Jersey has federally backed coronavirus testing sites in Paramus and Holmdel.

But only people living within 50 miles of each can use them, according to officials. They did not specify where they would like the third testing center, but the current locations leave much of South Jersey ineligible.

"(The current testing sites leave) over one million New Jerseyans out of range from receiving a test at any federally resourced facility,” the letter says. “This is particularly concerning given that as of March 26, New Jersey had the second highest number of cases of any state with over 6,000 positive cases.”

A FEMA spokesperson told Patch the following:

"We are currently in Phase 1 of HHS’s (Department of Health and Human Services) testing site plan, which includes supporting 48 sites nationwide before considering new sites during Phase 2," said Alex Bruner, of FEMA.

Since then — partially because of increased testing — the total of positive cases has more than doubled. Murphy said New Jersey had 3,347 new cases on Monday, raising the state's case total to 16,636 — 25,224 have tested negative. Thirty-seven more people died, raising the state's total to 198.

The virus has most severely impacted North Jersey, according to state officials. But limited testing nationwide for much of the pandemic has made it difficult to gauge the true number of people with the virus. People with the coronavirus also might not show symptoms, according to the Center for Disease Control.

Two-hundred people have tested positive in Camden County as of Monday afternoon. But County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli Jr. said earlier this month that a lack of available testing makes it impossible to know the true number of people with the coronavirus.

Cappelli said he would like to see a drive-thru site in Camden County, alongside Virtua, Cooper and Jefferson health systems. But the county would need more tests.

"We're ready to go, but there's a limited number of tests available," Cappelli said.

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