To receive testing, you must:

• Be a resident, or work or go to school in Middlesex County (proof is required - including, but not limited to: a valid driver’s license; state issued identification; school or employee ID card; or two pieces of mail including utility bills, bank statements, or similar documentation with name and address)

• Make an appointment online or via phone

Middlesex County residents that have symptoms of COVID-19 or believe they have come in contact with someone with COVID-19, should visit middlesexcountynj.gov/COVID19testing to register and receive a time to report to the testing site. Middlesex County also offer testing to asymptomatic (meaning those not showing symptoms of COVID-19) individuals. Registrants must bring their appointment confirmation and proof of residency including, but not limited to: a valid driver’s license; state issued identification; or two pieces of mail including utility bills, bank statements, or similar documentation with name and address, to the testing site.

If the person is not a Middlesex County resident or does not have a scheduled appointment, they will not receive testing.

The County, along with Rutgers University and South Plainfield-based Accurate Diagnostic Labs, has made the new saliva-based test kits available to residents. Unlike the nasal swab, this new test is less invasive, as a resident will only have to spit into a saliva collection device and fill it up to the indicated line. Instructions will be given at the test site, but residents can click the following file to familiarize themselves with the process beforehand.

Instructions for Saliva Collection:

• English
• Spanish

It is important to know, however, in order for the test to be accurate, you MUST NOT eat, drink, smoke, or chew gum for 30 MINUTES prior to giving your saliva sample. If you do not comply, you will be required to leave the site and make another appointment on another day.

Collected specimens are sent to one of the approved laboratories, and results get reported back to the Office of Health Services. For the Middlesex County Saliva-based COVID-19 diagnostic tests, results are *usually* provided within 3-5 business days. The Office of Health Services will then contact you by phone with a positive or negative result. The phone call will likely come from a 732-745-XXXX number. Test results can not be left on voicemail, so you must answer the phone when called and/or promptly return calls to the Office of Health Services after being tested. To learn more about what to do once you get your results, visit our "Understanding your COVID-19 Test Results" page.

 

For the Middlesex County Saliva-based COVID-19 diagnostic tests, results are *usually* provided within 3-5 business days.   Please note that our office is only administering the tests.  Once a specimen is collected, it is sent to one of the approved laboratories, and results get reported back to the Office of Health Services.  (This timeframe can vary slightly based on the lab, but their average has been 2-4 days.)  The Office of Health Services will then contact you by phone with a positive or negative result.  The phone call will likely come from a 732-745-XXXX number.   Test results can not be left on voicemail, so you must answer the phone when called and/or promptly return calls to the Office of Health Services after being tested.  

As previously stated, the process takes, on average, about 3-5 days, but our office has gone back to being closed on Sundays, and has a reduced schedule of operations on Saturdays, which may impact the length of time it takes for results to be shared. 

Persons who test positive for COVID-19 and are symptomatic or persons with COVID-19 symptoms who weren’t tested or who are waiting for test results.

• Stay home and isolate from other people for at least 5 full days (day 0 is the first day of symptoms).
• If symptoms resolve (fever-free for 24 hours and other symptoms improve2), isolation can end after 5 full days (i.e., on day 6).
• If symptoms persist (fever or if other symptoms have not improved), continue to isolate until fever-free for 24 hours and other symptoms have improved.

Persons who test positive for COVID-19 but have no symptoms

• Stay home and isolate from other people for at least 5 full days (day 0 is the day of the positive test).
• If no symptoms develop, isolation can end after 5 full days (i.e., on day 6).
• If symptoms develop within one week of the positive test, the 5-day isolation period starts over with day 0 being the first day of symptoms. Follow recommendations for ending isolation for persons who have COVID-19 symptoms.

Additional precautions during/after isolation (everyone)

• Mask: Continue to wear a well-fitted mask when around others at home and in public through day 10. For those ending isolation on day 5, this would be during days 6 through 10. Persons who are unable to wear a mask when around others should stay home and isolate from other people for a full 10 days.
• Travel: Avoid travel until a full 10 days after your first day of symptoms or if asymptomatic, after the date of the positive test. If travel is necessary on days 6-10, wear a well-fitting mask when around others for the entire duration of travel. Persons unable to wear a mask should not travel during the 10 days.
• Avoid High-risk activities: Avoid people who are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe disease, including nursing homes and other high-risk settings; do not go to places where you are unable to wear a mask, such as restaurants and some gyms, and avoid eating around others at home and at work until a full 10 days.

With widespread testing available in Middlesex County, it is possible to determine if you have COVID-19, even if you are asymptomatic.  Asymptomatic means there are no symptoms despite having been exposed to a disease. You are considered asymptomatic if you:

• Have recovered from an illness or condition and no longer have symptoms
• Have an illness or condition (such as COVID-19) but do not have symptoms of it

Please use this online calculator if you or a member of your family have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for Covid-19: https://covid19.nj.gov/pages/quarantine-calculator