Covid 19 coronavirus: Testing centres open in Ōpōtiki and Kawerau

Covid-19 drive-through testing centres are being launched in Ōpōtiki and Kawerau this week.

The pop-up drive-through centres will both open on Thursday and will each operate three days a week until further notice.

Ōpōtiki will run on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, while Kawerau will be operational on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10am to 2pm.

The Ōpōtiki Community Based Assessment Centre (CBAC) will be based at Ōpōtiki Memorial Park and the Kawerau Community Based Assessment Centre will be based at the Ron Hardie Recreation Centre Car Park.

Both will have the purpose of assessing, testing and managing people with potential Covid-19 symptoms.

Patients with a cough, shortness of breath, sore throat and runny nose were eligible to be seen at the facility.

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website

All symptoms can be with or without fever.

All patients are required to arrive at the drive-thru assessment centre in a vehicle, only with people within their bubble.

Meanwhile, a new closing time has been set for the Whakatāne Covid-19 assessment centre.

The Whakatāne COVID-19 assessment centre will be opening from 9am-4pm daily starting Thursday.

The new opening hours mean the Community Based Assessment Centre (CBAC) at the Whakatāne War Memorial Hall will be closing two hours earlier than it had been previously.

Bay of Plenty Community Based Health Services lead Dr Joe Bourne said the move came as a result of processes being fine-tuned.

"We've been able to fine-tune the processes since the assessment centre was launched and are comfortable that we are able to see the current anticipated numbers within the new opening hours," he said.

"Should those numbers increase we have the scope and capacity to move with that and increase the hours again should that be necessary."

Over the last five days, the average number of patients seen each day at the centre was 48. Experience had shown that there was also a tendency for the majority of those patients to be seen in the morning added Dr Bourne.

The assessment centre will still be operating daily and will be open throughout the Easter Weekend.