At the start pf the pandemic, coronavirus testing involved driving to one of a handful of testing sites across the state, and having a doctor or nurse place a swab far up your nostril. Then, you’d wait up to a week for results.
Now, you can do it yourself, at a familiar place, right in the parking lot of your favorite superstore.
Information is taken from a driver at the Burlington Walmart.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
As of Friday, Walmart has 180 active testing sites in 27 states, including seven in New Jersey.
Friday morning, the process went smoothly as the first cars began arriving at a sectioned-off area of the parking lot at the Burlington Walmart.
Participants had appointments and wore masks as they drove through checkpoints to verify their ID and eligibility, pressing their paperwork against closed car windows and reading instructions held by technicians on the other side.
A self-administered nasal swab COVID-19 test kit is passed to a driver in Burlington Walmart.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
At the next stop, they rolled down their windows enough to receive their test packet from someone standing at a safe distance using a pick-up grabber tool.
A Walmart pharmacist made sure the test was taken correctly.
A self-administered nasal swab COVID-19 test kit is passed to a driver.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Friday, May 22, 2020 - Cars line up in a sectioned off part of a parking lot. Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Then, they drove off to drop the sealed sample into a container on their way out of the drive-thru site.
In a press release, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy expressed gratitude for the partnership with Walmart and Quest Diagnostics.
“A strong testing program is one of the foundational principles for New Jersey’s road back to restart and recovery,” Murphy said in the release.
The sites are open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays weekly from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., weather permitting. The sites will be closed for Memorial Day, Monday, but will open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and resume its regular schedule on Wednesday.
In New Jersey, Walmart drive-thru testing sites will be open in the parking lots of Garfield, North Bergen, Kearny, Flemington, Burlington, Howell, and Mount Laurel Walmart stores located at:
- 174 Passaic Street, Garfield
- 2100 88th Street, North Bergen
- 150 Harrison Avenue, Kearny
- 152 NJ-31 North, Flemington
- 2106 Mt Holly Road, Burlington Township
- 4900 U.S. Highway #9, Howell Township
- 934 NJ-73, Mt Laurel Township
Walmart is donating parking lot space, site supplies and materials, and associates’ time.
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Michael Mancuso may be reached at mmancuso@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @michaelmancuso. Find NJ.com on Facebook.