HOW TO GET TESTED FOR COVID-19 IN NEW JERSEY
You don't need insurance and free testing is available.
It's especially important to get tested if:
- You have COVID-19 symptoms after being exposed, even if you are fully vaccinated or recently recovered from COVID-19 in the last 3 months.
- You have been in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
- You were recently in a large gathering where social distancing was hard to maintain or a crowded indoor setting and are not fully vaccinated or recently recovered.
- You must travel and are not fully vaccinated, get a viral test 1-3 days before travel and 3-5 days after travel.
Note: Fully vaccinated people who have come in close contact with someone with COVID-19 should get tested 5-7 days following the date of their exposure and wear a mask in public indoor settings for 14 days or until they receive a negative test result. They should isolate if they test positive.
COVID-19 Test Site Finder and more information: https://covid19.nj.gov/pages/testing
MERCER COUNTY OFFERING FREE AT-HOME TESTING FOR COVID-19
Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes announced that County residents 14 years or older, and anyone employed as a first responder or health care worker in Mercer, can sign up to receive a free COVID-19 saliva test to be administered at home through a partnership between the County and Vault Health Services of New Jersey.
The saliva collection test for COVID-19 has the same effectiveness as the nasal swab test. It is not an antibody test, but rather is designed to determine if an individual is currently infected with COVID-19 and has the potential to infect others. This test is performed under the supervision of a Vault healthcare provider through a video telehealth visit, eliminating the risk of person-to-person exposure to the virus.
Individuals seeking a test should visit www.mercercares.org to register. You will be required to provide proof of residency or employment. After your eligibility is verified, you will receive a digital link to Vault’s webpage to request a county-funded test kit. The kit will be shipped overnight with instructions on how to schedule a Zoom telehealth meeting with a certified healthcare worker who will virtually instruct you about how to properly collect a saliva sample for shipment to the Rutgers Clinical Genomics Laboratory for testing. Test results are expected to be returned within 72 hours. If your test is positive, or if you have symptoms, call your health care professional. Any questions can be directed to
When registering, individuals should have their health insurance card handy, but a lack of insurance will not prevent someone from using at-home COVID-19 testing. Federal rules require the collection of insurance information to support the testing program. Under federal law, all forms of public and private insurance must cover FDA-approved COVID-19 tests with no out-of-pocket costs to insured persons.
COVID-19 TESTING SITES IN MERCER COUNTY
COVID-19 tests are available at a number of locations in Mercer County (see below). Visit the location’s website or call for information on how to get tested.
Henry J. Austin Health Center in Trenton is offering COVID-19 saliva tests to the community by appointment, at no cost for patients without health insurance.
Tests are available for HJAHC’s adult and pediatric patients at 321 N. Warren St. and their mobile health unit throughout Trenton. To make an appointment, call 609-278-5900.
- To get a COVID-19 test, you must be a current patient, have been seen by a Henry J. Austin Health Center provider within the past year or set up a telemedicine appointment. HJAHC Telehealth information. En Español
- All patient information is kept confidential; HJAHC does not share information.
- Patients do not need identification or health insurance for a COVID-19 test.
- Help is available for patients who are uninsured, self-pay or need transportation.
Other testing sites in Mercer County
- Concentra Urgent Care, 2542 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence 08648; 609-493-5440
- CVS Ewing, 1320 Parkway Ave., Ewing 08628; 609-882-4097
- CVS Hamilton, 200 NJ-Route 33, Hamilton 08691; 609-890-7488
- CVS Hamilton, 2147 Hamilton Ave., Hamilton 08691; 609-588-4701
- CVS Lawrence, 1900 Brunswick Ave., Lawrenceville 08648; 609-392-6476
- CVS Princeton, 881 US-Route 206, Princeton 08540; 609-683-3680
- CVS Robbinsville, 2281 NJ-Route 33, Robbinsville 08691;609-584-5851
- CVS Trenton, 1248 Greenwood Ave. #1240, Trenton 08609;609-394-2604
- CVS Trenton, 1100 Liberty St., Trenton 08611; 609-599-2566
- Ewing Pharmacy, 1400 Parkway Ave., Ewing 08628; 609-323-7503
- InFocus Urgent Care, 64 Princeton-Hightstown Road, Princeton Junction; 609-799-7009
- InFocus Urgent Care, 100 Campus Town Circle, Suite 100, Ewing 08628; 609-799-7009
- Patient First – Hamilton, 641 US-Route 130, Hamilton 08691; 609-568-9383
- Rite Aid Robbinsville, 2370 NJ-Route 33, Robbinsville 08691; 609-259-1251
- Riverside Urgent Care, 811 NJ-Route 33, Hamilton 08619; 609-587-8298
- Walgreens East Windsor, 16 Princeton-Hightstown Road, East Windsor 08520
- Walgreens Ewing, 1801 North Olden Ave., Ewing 08628; 609-493-9902
- Walgreens Ewing, 970 Parkway Ave,. Ewing 08618; 609-882-3456
- Walgreens Hamilton, 2021 Nottingham Way, Hamilton 08619; 609-587-1059
- Walgreens Hamilton, 1702 Kuser Road, Hamilton 08610; 609-438-3000
- Walgreens Robbinsville, 2313 Route 33, Robbinsville 08691
- Walgreens Trenton, 1700 North Olden Ave., Trenton 08638; 609-493-9902
- Walgreens Trenton, 2645 South Broad St., Trenton 08610; 609-888-2203
- Walgreens Trenton, 1096 Route 33, Trenton 08690; 609-689-3060
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Instructions for persons who test positive for COVID-19 -- NJ Department of Health (updated 12/2/21)
Instructions for persons who test negative for COVID-19 -- NJ Department of Health (updated 11/16/21)