Virus testing centres set up

Community testing centres have been established in Nelson and Motueka as part of a national response to the coronavirus pandemic.

New Zealand had eight new cases of coronavirus reported yesterday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 28. There are currently no confirmed cases in the top of the south.

Nelson Marlborough Health general manager of strategy, primary and community Cathy O’Malley said people with Covid19 symptoms were asked to phone Healthline or their GP first, as the testing centres were not walk-in facilities.

The Healthline adviser or GP would ask questions before confirming if someone required assessment and testing.

People were asked to cooperate with this process, she said.

The community-based assessment centres (CBAC) are designed to take the load off general practices and hospital emergency departments, and reduce the exposure risk for healthcare workers.

The first community testing centre opened in Christchurch on Wednesday.

O’Malley said the centres would help to limit the spread of of the virus by separately streaming people who may have caught it from others.

The centres are part of district health boards’ nationwide pandemic plans. O’Malley said their effectiveness had been proven in previous outbreaks of infectious diseases.

She said while there were no confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the region, it was ready to respond to greater numbers of people needing assessment and testing.

The centres are in locations with lots of space around them. ‘‘The need for people to put distance between each other, to prevent catching and spreading the virus, is increasingly necessary,’’ O’Malley said.

She plans were under way to reach vulnerable communities. A special advisory group has been established, comprising marae leaders and refugee and RSE workers.

A Ministry of Health spokeswoman said test results could be back within 24 hours.

All medical centres and GPs will still be able to collect test samples for Covid-19 testing, if necessary.

Dr Samantha Murton, president of the Royal New Zealand College of GPs, said it was crucial to establish community-based testing facilities to ensure testing was managed the best way possible.

Things were moving ‘‘very fast’’, and it was important to be able to keep up, as well as ensuring that practices could treat nonCovid-19 patients as if it were ‘‘business as usual’’.