Health care providers around the state say that testing for COVID-19 is back on the rise as transmission rates of the virus increase.

Between the Fourth of July holiday, summer travel, kids in camp and people going back to work, Dr. Raj Brahmbhatt of Riverside Medical Group in Hoboken says that he did expect to see more COVID-19 cases and therefore testing. But he says that he didn't expect it to all go up this much, due to the delta variant.

“I’ve seen it myself in offices, urgent care COVID testing centers. Many people, more positives. Thankfully not as sick,” he says.

As Riverside’s chief medical officer, Brahmbatt was responsible for Hoboken's large testing site at the height of the pandemic. The medical group also operated one in Secaucus. Both sites closed months ago. But appointments for testing are building statewide once again. Many doctors’ offices, urgent cares and pharmacies are seeing a lot of people for testing, compared to vaccinations.

Brahmbhatt says that it is not necessarily a bad thing. But it proves that people are taking potential breakthrough cases of the virus seriously.

“If having COVID symptoms, respiratory symptoms, fever, anything – it’s always safer and better to get tested,” Brahmbhatt says. “Even if you’re vaccinated – not just for yourself, but your loved ones. For the older population, high-risk people, for the children. Yes, my advice is to still get tested.”

Brahmbhatt says that he doesn’t expect testing sites to go back to the levels they once were at the start of the pandemic. But he says that if people don’t follow the proper guidelines, such as wearing masks and getting vaccinated, testing sites could see more people.

Brahmbhatt says most insurance companies are still paying for COVID-19 tests and that no one should be turned away because of vaccine status. Many municipalities are also still covering the cost for the uninsured.