The Ocean County Health Department has increased
testing capacity as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations climb.
The drive-thru site at Ocean County College will open at 9 a.m., as the demand for tests
remains extremely high everywhere, and close at 5 p.m.
The state logged another 25,000 cases Tuesday, with
a 7-day average topping the 20,000 mark. The numbers are believed to be significantly
higher because of the at-home rapid tests, which go unreported to state health
officials.
The numbers translated into a jump of
hospitalizations, topping the 5,000 mark for the first time since May of 2020 – 5,155 COVID-19 positive patients
now occupy hospital beds, according to state data. Nearly 700 of them are
in the ICU.
Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday
the state was working to break down the numbers of people hospitalized with
COVID-19 in relation to those for COVID-19 to get a more accurate representation
of the surge hitting health centers.
The testing center will also
open Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and weather permitting Friday 9 a.m. to 5
p.m., pending any snow issues.