Details announced for 2 coronavirus testing sites in Atlantic City, one a former casino

Thursday 23rd April 2020

More details were announced Wednesday for two coronavirus testing sites in Atlantic City.

During a press conference streamed on Facebook Live, Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. announced tthe testing sites - previously announced last week, at the former Bader Field airport and the Showboat Casino - will start next week, on April 27.

They will be open to residents of the city, he said. The city is partnering with Reliance Medical Group to conduct the testing.

The Bader Field location will be open Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., while the Showboat facility will be for walk-in patients on Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. for 2 p.m. It will be located on the vacant parking lot between Pacific, Atlantic, Maryland and Delaware avenues

The testing sites will be available for four weeks. Currently, it is estimated that each site can test up to 50 people per day, a figure the mayor hopes to increase if more tests are appropriated.

To be tested, residents have to have the symptoms of the virus and have a prescription from their doctor. If residents meet those requirements, they can go to the city's website to fill out information for an appointment, which can found by clicking here.

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Atlantic County has been testing people at a drive-thru facility at Hamilton Mall, which began testing April 13 after receiving state approval.

Atlantic County reported Wednesday that 518 residents so far have tested positive for the virus, with 23 deaths. Also, 108 people have recovered from the coronavirus, and the COVID-19 disease it causes.

"When we first heard about this pandemic and the damage that it has caused worldwide, my administration wanted to be proactive," Small Sr. said. "We were the first in the area to call for local testing. We said we wanted a testing site at Bader Field."

Small Sr. said he made an impassioned plea to U.S. Sen. Cory Booker for funding for a testing site. The city received a $786,810 Community Development Block Grant to have the initiative funded, the mayor said.