Virus vigilance urged
DHB pushing Covid tracing app as number turning up for testing hovers around 20 a day — 91 in past week
The number of people being tested for Covid-19 in the Whanganui region has fallen as the country enters the second month of alert level 1. In the past week there have been just 91 tests.
But Whanganui District Health Board says the virus is still a threat and people need to remain vigilant.
So far 1001 people have been tested in the community since the move to alert level 1 in early June, with all results returning negative.
Since testing began there have been 5295 tests in the Whanganui health board’s area.
A DHB spokesman said numbers started to climb when two Kiwi women, who tested positive for Covid-19, were allowed to leave their isolation in Auckland last month on compassionate grounds and travel to Wellington.
From June 12 numbers began to climb from around 20 people a day to around 80 people, with about 90 people presenting themselves at the community-based assessment centre (CBAC) on one day, he said.
But in the past two weeks numbers have returned to about 20 people a day with things “clearly quieting down”.
Of the 91 people tested in the past week, 48 were swabbed at the assessment centre at Whanganui Hospital.
Only one CBAC remains at the hospital campus and is open Monday to Friday 8am to 4.30pm and 10am to 3pm on weekends.
GP practices and iwi providers such as Te Oranganui in Wicksteed St also provide swabbing.
Rural communities can also be swabbed at their GP practice but are asked to phone first.
“People should continue to regularly wash their hands or use hand sanitiser and to dry them thoroughly; cover coughs and sneezes by using the crook of your elbow,” WDHB said.
The DHB is also encouraging people to download the NZ Covid Tracer app and scan the QR code that is displayed at the entrance of the hospital and at local businesses, offices and shops around town.
“This will be a huge help if we need to contact trace people if we have another positive case.”
Anyone with flu-like symptoms, a cough, sore throat, fever, shortness of breath, runny nose, sneezing or loss of sense of smell should stay home and phone their GP to get assessed or visit the community-based assessment centre.