Source: Riverside Medical Group
In a press conference on Friday, President Trump pledged that more drive thru testing stations for the Novel Coronavirus will be opened across the nation. Well, for some Secaucus residents, this has already happened. Over the weekend, the Riverside Medical Group, located on 10th Street, announced that it has opened the first drive thru clinic in Secaucus to test patients for the COVID-19 virus. According to a statement from the company, a drive thru setup like this helps limits unnecessary exposure to the virus by eliminating the need for the patient to enter an actual medical facility.
If anyone is experiencing symptoms of the disease, he/she should first call Riverside Medical Group so that they can be evaluated by a medical professional over the phone. These symptoms are similar to those of the flu and include fever, coughing, or shortness of breath. If it is determined that the patient meet the criteria for testing, that person will be directed to RMG's drive thru testing facility. The facilty is opened Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM and on Saturdays from 10 AM to 1 PM. However, do not expect to be able to just show up and get tested. All testing is done by appointment only. Also, due to a shortage of test kits, this service is only available to current RMG patients.
Test results typically take around three to five days. The cost of the test is covered by most insurances.
It is important to note that at the time of this writing, there are still no confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Secaucus. However, the number of cases in New Jersey overall has exploded from 11 patients just five days ago to 98 at the time of this writing. There are 11 cases in Hudson county alone, the county which Secaucus is a part of. With such rapid spread, it may very well be the case that there are already Secaucus residents who have contracted the disease. It is just that with most patients, the virus only causes mild symptoms. So those infected may not even know they are carrying the virus. With a testing facility opening in town, though, more residents are likely to get tested. And when that happens, sooner or later, Secaucus' number probably won't be at zero any more.
