Covid 19 coronavirus: Katikati drive-through assessment centre set to open

A new drive-through Covid-19 assessment centre is set to open in Katikati today.

Dr Joe Bourne, the Bay of Plenty District Health Board's community-based health services leader, said the centre was to help improve accessibility to swab tests in the Western Bay.

Bourne said the Katikati Community Based Assessment Centre based at the Katikati Rugby Club in Fairview Rd will initially open daily from 10am to 2pm this week, except Sunday.

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"The assessment centre has been established after conversations with the community and local GPs. There have been some smaller pop-up operations with local Māori in the area but this is a fixed site assessment centre which people can self-refer to," he said.

Bourne said as the centre would open for five days initially there was no need to go on the first day of opening unless absolutely necessary.

"I would like to stress that this service is for people with potential Covid-19 symptoms and it is not a substitute for general practice.

"If people have health issues other than those which are potentially Covid-19 related, they should telephone their GP or the Healthline for advice as normal."

"We have made a commitment to these five days and we will see what the level of demand is like across those days to inform our service plans for the future.

Bourne said the centre's operating hours may change depending on the level of demand but it would continue to operate for as long as needed.

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

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All symptoms can be with or without a fever, he said.

Anyone seeking to use the drive-through assessment centre must arrive in a vehicle and only visit the centre accompanied by people from their own bubble.

Patients were also asked to bring their national health identification number with them if they had one.

Anyone unsure whether they were eligible should call their GP or the Healthline for advice.