Curley Keno, a member of Poutiri Trust's Covid-19 swabbing workforce with (in car) Hani Hood.
Curley Keno, a member of Poutiri Trust's Covid-19 swabbing workforce with (in car) Hani Hood.
Creating consistency around vaccine and testing options is behind a link-up between Poutiri Trust and Seeka.
The trust has been at the forefront of local Covid-19 vaccination and testing services. Staff have been vaccinating people since June last year and providing testing since the early days of the pandemic.
InTe Puke it has provided both at various locations, most recently offering testing at Te Puke Sports ground and Rangiuru Sports clubrooms.
From last Friday, it has set up services at Seeka's Transpack packhouse on Young Rd.
''It's a joint initiative between Poutiri and Seeka with core support from the Bay of Plenty DHB, so we can ensure that over this side of town testing as well as continued access to vaccinations in a safe way, now we are under the red traffic light system, is available to the community,'' says Poutiri Trust general manager Kirsty Maxwell-Crawford.
''We just appreciate being able to continue this service in a way that keeps our staff safe too because we want to be here for the long haul so we've got to move to drive through for the testing and vaccination and this is a great partnership way to do it.''
She says the trust was looking for an under-cover place it could provide drive-through services.
''There is no ideal site in Te Puke that is not weather-dependent. We've appreciated having the support of Te Puke Sports and Rangiuru, but when it's raining we don't want the community to be confused with 'is it on?' or 'where are they?' so we reached out to Trevelyan's and Seeka and both have been fantastic, and Seeka have a facility they have made available.''
At this stage opening times are flexible and details of times and which service is available on a given day are on the Poutiri Trust and Healthline websites.
''Every day there will be either testing or vaccinations or both, but initially it won't be both every day because we don't have the cases and testing numbers, but we probably will have in the coming weeks and will move in that direction once the demand is there.''
Size was a critical consideration.
''We needed a space that was large enough for our two teams to operate in two separate bubbles and also for people who are accessing the drive-through to be able to access two completely separate services. And we needed it to be under shelter so we didn't have to worry about weather changing our plans at the last minute and people not knowing where we were.''
Poutiri Trust's Covid co-ordination assistant Anipeka Peters at the new drive-through testing and vaccination facility.
Kirsty says Seeka has been ''amazing and together we are going to look at a site that will be more suitable in the coming months - a site where we can stay for six months or longer if we needed to''.
As well as serving the immediate areas, Kirsty says the facility is an alternative if the services at Baypark are busy.
The trust will also have staff on hand for whānau ora support.
''They will be just checking with anyone who is coming through if they have got any pressing needs with ourselves and other community providers that we have worked with through Covid, like Colab and The Hub: if they are struggling to access kai, if they are having difficulties with some changes in circumstances as a result of Covid. If they are self-isolating and are finding access to some things difficult, then we will be checking on those things through the drive-through as well.
''We will do anything we can to look after our community.''
Kirsty says people are worried about the implications of having to self-isolate for an extended period of time.
''We don't know what things will look like in three weeks, four weeks, six weeks, but there is support available.''
Support with transport to and from the facility is also available to those who might otherwise struggle to get there. People can call the trust's freephone number 0800 573 0091 to find out more.
Seeka chief executive Michael Franks says the partnership is a way of supporting the community and the trust in its endeavours to deliver a safer community.
''The packhouse isn't being used at the moment, and our canopy area and access and egress arrangements mean people wanting to get tested can do so in all weathers without leaving their vehicles and the people undertaking the tests will be safe.
''Seeka is working with the trust to find a longer-term solution which may result in a different testing facility being leased and supported by Seeka.''
