Hudson County Regional Hospital performs 640 COVID-19 tests in 4 days

A drive-through COVID-19 testing site has been set up at the Hudson Regional Hospital in Secaucus. Officials say that in just four days, 640 people have been tested for the virus.
People who are symptomatic are able to drive up and get tested in just minutes. Hospital officials say that once patients reach the front of the hospital, they are approached by medical technicians and tested. The samples are dropped into bags that say, “COVID-19 Swabs” and placed into a refrigerator.
Photos: The Impact of Coronavirus Around the World
undefined

Officials say that of the 640 tests, they have the results for 178 of them, with 114 being positive.
“If we can get more volunteers for next weekend, we are more than happy to open for at least Saturday,” says Dr. Nizar Kifaieh.
Kifaieh says that those performing the swabs are volunteers with medical backgrounds. But he says that others are needed for the call center, which is taking 20 calls per minute.
More: Your Coronavirus Photos
undefined

Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli has handed off 100 donated masks for the staffers.
“And that’s only the beginning. We have like 2,000 in stock,” the mayor said.
Hudson Regional has 14 ventilators, but the staff is looking for more ahead of a potential surge in critical patients. Twenty patients have been admitted to the hospital with the virus. There have not been any deaths.
Staff at the hospital says that as more people are tested positive, those people will be cautious and quarantine. This would likely keep others from getting sick.
Test results generally come back within three days.