Pallone Leads Call to Expand COVID-19 Testing Sites In New Jersey

Long Branch – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today led a letter to President Trump asking him to provide New Jersey with the testing resources it needs to combat the rising number of COVID-19 cases. In writing to President Trump, the Democratic Members of the House of Representatives from New Jersey requested that the President re-open drive-through testing facilities operated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help contain the spread of COVID-19.

“We write to once again convey the urgent need for federal resources in New Jersey to improve testing capacity. The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) continues to reach record highs; case rates in November are surpassing even our highest rates from the spring,” the lawmakers wrote. “Despite the state’s best efforts, the positivity rate for COVID-19 testing currently averages about 10 percent. As you know, experts suggest anything over a five percent positive testing rate requires urgent containment and mitigation efforts. However, containment and mitigation efforts rely on sufficient testing capacity to ensure that cases are being quickly identified and New Jersey is once again facing extended lines at testing locations and turn-around times for results becoming longer by the day. We are in agreement with medical and public health experts that rapid and robust testing is the key to driving down case rates and re-opening New Jersey’s economy.”

In April, FEMA opened two drive-through testing facilities in New Jersey that helped expand testing capacity. FEMA closed the testing sites in July, despite public pleas to keep them open. A copy of the letter is available here.