Toms River Rite Aid Hosting Coronavirus Testing Site

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Ocean County residents, particularly those in the senior communities, who have been looking for easier access to testing for the new coronavirus can now get tested at Rite Aid on Mule Road in Toms River.

The testing, which begins Wednesday, will be available at no cost to eligible individuals who meet criteria established by the Centers for Disease Control, which generally has been people showing symptoms of the illness.

Unlike the testing site at Ocean County College, however, you will not need a prescription to get tested at Rite Aid. Patients are required to provide government issued identification, be at least 18 years old and they must register online at www.riteaid.com to schedule a time slot for testing.

Don't miss local and New Jersey announcements about coronavirus precautions. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.

The testing at Rite Aid differs from other sites, however, in that patients will have to swab their nostrils themselves. (See a demonstration in the video below.)

People seeking tests will come to Rite Aid at their appointment time. The testing will be held in the store's parking lot and overseen by Rite Aid pharmacists. Patients will drive up and stay in their vehicles from the time they arrive until they leave.

Rite Aid expects to be able to conduct more than 200 tests daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Rite Aid has partnered with Verily and will use its Baseline COVID-19 Program to provide screening, scheduling and return of results to participants for Rite-Aid testing sites. BioReference Laboratories is providing the laboratory testing of Rite Aid's tests.

Clinical oversight for the COVID-19 testing program is provided by PWNHealth, a national clinician network that enables safe and easy access to diagnostic testing, the company said in a news release.

More than 88,000 New Jersey residents and more than 4,800 in Ocean County have tested positive for the coronavirus as of Monday, according to the state Department of Health. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

Have a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com Follow Toms River Patch on Facebook.