NJ gets more help spotting COVID-19 variants in positive cases Published: April 4, 2021 In this January 2021 photo, scientists with the Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery take variant samples into a laboratory. (Hackensack Meridian Health) New Jersey has additional groups devoted to tracking and diagnosing COVID-19 variants, which have been cited as a primary reason for another surge of cases in the Garden State. The Center for Discovery and Innovation within Hackensack Meridian Health, comprising 17 hospitals in New Jersey, has developed a test that within a couple of hours can detect multiple variants of COVID-19 that may be more contagious or more resistant to certain treatment.