Mercer County Postpones COVID-19 Tests Due to Weather Forecast
by No Test Sites Open Monday April 13, Appointments Rescheduled
Trenton, NJ — Mercer County today informed Trenton Health Team that all COVID-19 test sites –including a walk-up site in Trenton and the drive-up site at Quaker Bridge Mall in Lawrence–will be closed tomorrow, Monday April 13, due to high-wind warnings from the National Weather Service.
Persons scheduled for coronavirus tests on Monday April 13 will be contacted by the county to reschedule.
“With high winds and thunderstorms predicted, Mercer County will not be able to provide COVID-19 testing on Monday,” said THT Executive Director Gregory Paulson. “Appointments for tests will be rescheduled. Testing will resume as soon as possible.”
The National Weather Service today issued a high wind warning for central New Jersey in effect from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday April 13 predicting “damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines” with widespread power outages expected.
Mercer County recently announced that walk-up test sites will open in each Trenton ward one day a week for residents who suffer coronavirus symptoms but cannot access the county’s drive-through test site at Quaker Bridge Mall in Lawrence. Trenton residents with transportation are being sent to the drive-up site.
Testing was scheduled to begin Monday in Trenton by appointment only based on a physician’s order.
Trenton residents with COVID-19 symptoms who want to be tested must first contact a physician. No one will be tested without a physician’s order.
Residents without a primary care doctor may call Henry J. Austin Health Center 609-278-5900 to determine if a test is needed. The health center will serve all patients, including those without insurance. Staff can quickly connect callers–even new patients–with a doctor via phone or video. There is no charge for testing at any Mercer County-run site.
Anyone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms such as dry cough, fever, shortness of breath, body aches, or fatigue must stay home and contact a doctor. If a doctor orders a test, the Mercer County health call center will contact residents to schedule a testing time and location.
“Talking with a doctor will provide important health safety information and help everyone understand what to do based on test results,” Paulson said. “If you don’t have symptoms, federal guidelines don’t recommend a test. And if you do have symptoms, a doctor can best determine if you should be tested.”
County testing centers are a collaborative effort between the County of Mercer, the city of Trenton, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, Capital Health System, St. Francis Medical Center in Trenton and the Trenton Health Team. For local updates, including food access and pharmacy information, visit THT’s COVID-19 webpage.
