Hoboken is teaming up with a private medical group to offer COVID-19 testing for city residents.

“I’ve heard complaints from residents that their doctors say, ‘You’re symptomatic, but we don’t know what else to tell you as to where to go,’” says Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla.

Riverside Medical Group has now opened an outdoor screening facility for all Hoboken residents. Previously, testing was only available for the group’s regular patients.

“But as you know testing supplies and kits were very limited, so we needed to serve our patients first,” says Dr. Raj Brahbhatt. “As soon as we could allocate and acquire more test kits with the mayor and the town, we were more than happy to oblige.”

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Medical staff will be at the outdoor facility for nine hours a day, six days a week. Health officials say that they can do 30-50 tests a day. It will be by appointment only and only those who have symptoms will be tested.

The testing site is drive-thru, but since Hoboken is a pedestrian-friendly town, walk-up options are also available.

“There are barricades 10 feet apart and they can line up at those barricades until they are ready to be tested,” Bhalla says.

Officials say that with more testing available in Hoboken, the number of confirmed cases is expected to rise. But they say that knowing the true statistics is the key to fighting the spread of the virus.

Testing is free. The city will cover the costs for those who do not have insurance. More information about the testing can be found on the Hoboken city website.