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Union County COVID-19 Mobile Testing Unit to Begin Offering Free Saliva Tests to Residents

Saliva tests begin on Sept. 3rd in Hillside, results within 72 hours

Union County, NJ – The Union County Freeholder Board is pleased to announce that the Union County COVID-19 Mobile Test Unit is now offering residents free COVID-19 saliva tests. The saliva tests will be administered by the Mobile Test Unit during all scheduled upcoming community visits.

 

The Mobile Test Unit will exclusively administer saliva tests at all community visits going forward. Test results will be available within 3 days, which is sooner than the conventional swab test. This new community program builds on the Mobile Test Unit’s ongoing work of providing on-site tests for seniors in congregate housing, and for other at-risk populations in Union County.

The Union County Mobile Test Unit will start using the COVID-19 saliva tests at the next community visit scheduled for Thursday, September 3 in Hillside. Tests will be administered at Sanford Park, located at 274 Hillside Avenue, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. No appointment is required for this Mobile Test Unit visit.

“The Mobile Test Unit has enabled hundreds of our most vulnerable residents to receive a COVID-19 test in a familiar, convenient location. The new community program expands on this effort by offering saliva tests to our residents,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “Saliva tests are less invasive and the test results come in faster.”

Any Union County resident can make an appointment at any Mobile Test Unit site, regardless of the municipality in which they live. Appointments are required for all community walkup testing visits unless otherwise stated.

Testing is free of charge and no doctor visit or car is needed; all tests are conducted on a walk-up basis with masks and social distance required. Residents should bring a tablet or smart phone with them. Those being tested are asked not to eat or drink 30 minutes prior to testing.

To pick a location, date and time, and to make an appointment online, visit ucnj.org/coronavirus-update/walk-up.

Union County residents who need to make an appointment by phone can call 908-518-4307 for assistance.

Municipal governments, non-profit organizations and other community groups can call the Union County Office of Emergency Management at 908-654-9881 to request a visit from the Mobile Test Unit.

The Union County COVID-19 Mobile Test Unit is staffed by health professionals with the Union County Division of Health, in the Department of Public Safety. The Mobile Test Unit has conducted more than 2,000 tests to date.

In addition, the free Union County COVID-19 Drive-Through Test Center at Kean University has conducted more than 43,000 tests to date, for Union County residents as well as front line emergency and medical personnel in New Jersey.

For more information and updates on all Union County services during the COVID-19 outbreak, including guidance for using the Drive-Through Test Center at Kean University and a list of locations for the Mobile Test Unit, visit ucnj.org/coronavirus-update.

For general information about COVID-19 and phone contacts for 24/7 assistance with questions, visit the New Jersey Department of Health at nj.gov/health.

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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.

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