As COVID Cases Set Another Daily Record, Overnight Lines Grow at New Jersey Testing Facilities

The number of new reported COVID cases continues to set records across the state of New Jersey.  Today, Wednesday, the state set another new, daily record with 20,483 new, positive COVID cases, plus an additional 50 deaths from the virus.

Today’s number is approximately 5,000 more than the daily record set last week.  The state Department of Health says, of these new cases, there are 3,273 people hospitalized and 261 on ventilators.  I don’t have to tell you this is serious folks.

At 12-noon, Governor Phil Murphy tweeted the following statistics:

@GovMurphy

NEW JERSEY #COVID19 UPDATE:

*20,483 new positive PCR tests

*1,288,136 total positive PCR tests

*6,590 new positive antigen tests

*207,218 total positive antigen tests

*50 new confirmed deaths

*26,118 total confirmed deaths

*2,849 probable deaths

As the number of COVID cases continues to surge, the lines at testing sites all across New Jersey, and in Hudson County, continue to grow, with wait times skyrocketing into hours.  Thankfully, there have been no reported instances of people becoming unruly on these lines, and no reports of people camping out overnight to ensure they are near the front of the line when morning comes and sites reopen.

Hudson TV spoke with several police departments in Hudson County today.  All said the same thing.  People are aware of the situation and understand that the wait times will be very long.

Union City Police Chief Nichelle Luster said the city has had to bring in a second vendor to do testing at the 36th Street site, located between Kennedy Boulevard and Bergenline Avenue because the number of people was beyond what the initial vendor could handle.

In North Bergen, the police department says an officer is assigned to oversee the drive-thru location in the Braddock Park parking lot, but like Union City, it’s more for traffic control than people control.  The Hudson County Sheriff’s Department is overseeing the testing sites which have been announced this week at the boathouse in Braddock Park and the one in Bayonne’s Stephen Gregg Park.

Police say everything is running smoothly at the testing sites.  The public just needs to remain patient.