Bayonne Medical Center (BMC), a CarePoint Health hospital, will begin drive-through testing of persons with symptoms of the COVID 19 virus on Monday, April 13.
Due to a limited supply of test kits, the procedure was previously only for patients of CarePoint doctors. Now that they have more test kits, BMC is able to expand testing to patients of all doctors in Bayonne.
Persons who experience COVID 19 symptoms — a fever higher than 100.4 F, dry cough, shortness of breath, headache — should contact their doctor, who will refer them to BMC and make the appointment for them to be tested while remaining in their cars.
No testing will occur outside a vehicle. No walk-in patients without an appointment will be tested.
The testing site is at Don Ahern Veterans Stadium in Veterans Park behind Bayonne High School at 669 Avenue A. Testing will be weekdays from 10 a.m. until approximately 3:30 p.m.
According to the Office of Emergency Management (OEM), the city will not start testing asymptomatic people anytime soon.
Neighborhood concerns
Veteran’s Stadium is in a residential area on Avenue A, lined with traditional box homes. The site may raise questions among locals regarding traffic and the spread of the virus.
Despite the proximity to residential areas, OEM said there is no cause for concern for residents who lives near Veteran’s Stadium.
According to OEM, medical professionals have confirmed that residents cannot contract COVID-19 from someone driving past their houses. OEM noted that there won’t be lines of cars in any residential areas.
OEM advised residents to stay home and remain calm as the number of cases of COVID-19 in Bayonne continues to climb in the coming days.
“Obviously, the number of positive cases is still on the rise, so numbers will continue to increase before they go down,” according to a statement from OEM. “Practice social distancing.”
If you have seen a doctor and they advise you that you may have COVID-19 but the doctor will not test you, then you should treat yourself as a positive case and self-isolate at home, according to OEM.
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