The number of people who are looking to get tested for COVID-19 in New Jersey is on the rise.

This is evident in Hoboken, where long lines have formed outside the City MD urgent care office on Washington Street. Residents have wrapped around the corner to wait to get tested.

“In about the past three weeks, we have seen a steady increase in the amount of people who just want to get tested,” says Dr. Gaurang Brahmbhatt, of Riverside Medical Group. “I’ve also seen a lot of people waiting to get tested now are having symptoms.”

Riverside Medical Group runs the city’s first public testing site. It was one of the first in the state to offer free rapid testing to residents. Demand is up at testing facilities statewide due to more people with symptoms and more exposure to the virus.

“People are more out and about…more people have gone back to work, kids are back in school and we’re entering cold and flu season,” Bahmbhatt says.

Hoboken’s other city-sponsored testing site, which is run by Prompt MD at the city gym on Jackson Street, has also seen an increase in appointments. On Thursday alone, the site had over 200 bookings.

Brahmbhatt says that that demand for testing is a sign of the times. He says that this is not the time to let one’s guard down against the virus.

“People want to go back to normal and we aren’t there yet,” he says. “This is actually a time to double down and take it to the next level. Otherwise, we’ll be dealing with this for a lot longer than we want to.”

Both city-sponsored testing locations are by appointment only. Some private practice testing sites do allow walk-ins.

City MD has testing locations across New Jersey and is mostly walk-in. But the company advises patients to arrive early and to expect to wait.