COVID-19 testing centers around New Jersey continue to see an uptick in patients, as the holidays approach and family members start to arrive home from school and out of town, and Monmouth County has increased its supply of COVID-19 tests due to higher demand.

People have started to line up hours before the doors open, especially at urgent care facilities where rapid tests are available. Leaders in Monmouth County want to let people know they've increased the supply of tests as of today due to the higher demand. 

Video from last week shows the big lines outside one of the urgent care centers in Wall Township. County facilities also differ from the federally operated testing sites seen in the spring, such as at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel.

Monmouth County has increased its daily testing from 100 to 150 at the five rotating daily sites to meet the demand.

“What we've done starting yesterday, we went from 100 cases a day to providing 150 as of yesterday, testing tests for the day in the five towns,” says Freeholder Director Tom Arnone.

Monmouth County run testing sites rotate between five locations and are first come, first serve. “We have to put some things into perspective here,” says Arnone. “We are running into the flu season, allergy season, normal November and December sniffles and that's putting worrisome feelings in people's minds and they should be getting tested and that's a good thing. We are making sure they are having that ability.”

So, when should you be tested? News 12 asked an expert.

"In general, testing can tell you something about your status on the day of your test, but it can't guarantee your situation on another day. If you are asymptomatic, the best day for a COVID-19 test would be the day of visitation or the day before Thanksgiving," says Dr. Jack Cappitelli, chief medical officer for City MD.

Workers say they turn hundreds of people away each day hoping for tests because they're usually booked solid by 8 a.m.

Monmouth County posts the COVID-19 testing schedule on its website. Arnone says while they are not rapid tests they are coming back on average within two days.