HOLMDEL - A half-hour after it opened at 8 a.m. on Monday, people were being turned away from the new COVID-19 testing site stationed at PNC Bank Arts Center because capacity had already been reached.

Two hundred fifty people were able to get tested before the site reached capacity, a spokesperson for the governor's office said. Residents who did not get tested are encouraged to return Tuesday when the site opens at 8 a.m.

The site has the capacity to test 2,500 people per week, according to Alexandria Altman, a spokesman for the governor's office. But, she said, "the number is limited by the federal government to 250 individuals per day to ensure efficient processing of collected specimens and that testing can be offered every day.”

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After opening, the site "quickly reached capacity," Gov. Phil Murphy said at a Monday news conference.

Officials did not explain why capacity was reached within 30 minutes or why the launch of the site was different than Friday's launch of the Bergen site, when the governor announced 600 people were tested on Friday, and another 350 would be tested on Saturday.

Coronavirus update:NJ deaths climb to 27 Monday, cases rise to 2,844 as testing accelerates

With the limited number of resources, authorities are focusing on testing only those with symptoms and urging the "worried well" to stay away. A sign greeted those waiting in line at the Holmdel testing site that read: "no symptoms, no test."

In order to be eligible for testing, individuals must be current New Jersey residents and experiencing symptoms of respiratory illness. Priority will be given to symptomatic individuals experiencing cough, fever (99.6 degrees or above) and shortness of breath, according to press release from Murphy's office

The site will be open each day beginning at 8 a.m. while supplies last, according to the release.

The results of the tests will be available within two to five days, according to the release.

Testing is free and will be covered by the federal government or your personal insurance company. Individuals are encouraged to bring insurance cards if they have one.

There were 238 positive cases in Monmouth County, 150 in Ocean County and 2,844 across the state, with more than 900 new cases reported statewide on Monday.

“A lot more testing is going on and as the testing regime expands we are going to see these numbers go up in a big way," Murphy said, adding the totals could climb to the many thousands.

However, he said the large numbers are not necessarily a cause for concern. “The more data we have at our disposal the more equipped we are to break the back of this virus.”

The state also announced Monday that it is requiring all commercial labs that are testing for the virus to report their results directly to the state Department of Health.

Many New Jerseyans said they were unsure over the testing parameters.

Kelly Arace, a 53-year-old Point Pleasant resident, said she was confused about whether or not she could get tested Monday, and was discouraged by the lack of testing statewide.

"I would like to be able to tell people who I have come in contact with recently whether or not they are at risk," she said.

About two weeks ago, Arace said she experiencing symptoms like nausea, dizziness, chest pain, runny nose and sore throat, but it wasn't until Friday that she started experiencing chest pains and went to the doctor.

Before going to the doctor, she said she had a fever of 99.1 degrees, just shy of the 99.6-degree recommendation put forth by the state. But she said her doctor didn't test her for the virus.

"I wanted to get tested to know if I had it for my own mental health and how to manage it if I did have it and for the community's sake," she said.

Arace said she had come in contact with an individual who had been in contact with someone who tested positive. Given that, and her symptoms, she said she made the decision to self-quarantine.

“If you don’t get tested and you don’t know you have it you could still be infecting other people and everyone should be concerned," she said.

Keith Schubert is the morning breaking news reporter. He can be contacted via text, call or signal at (732) 239-8731 or emailed at kschubert@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @keithsch94.