He has also started an online petition to promote the initiative, which has been signed by 500 people.
The drive-through system was trialled in South Korea and had been adopted in parts of England and Scotland, he said.
Howe said a lab technician or healthcare assistant wearing a Hazmat suit could do the assessments at the drive-through centre, which could be set up in a well-ventilated area like a carpark.
READ MORE:
• Coronavirus: Covid-19 hits 100,000 cases as it upends lives, livelihoods
• Coronavirus in NZ: Infected woman says her husband has also tested positive
• Fourth coronavirus patient was at Tool rock concert with thousands of Aucklanders
• Coronavirus: Auckland businesses, restaurants reeling from 'unprecedented challenges'
The makeshift clinic would be supervised by a young GP and nurse, because they were less vulnerable if they became infected, Howe said.
"I think it's actually going to be helpful in terms of reducing a lot of the reservations that a lot of our GPs, public health officials, nurses or even patients have of having patients coming through their GP clinic, effectively unannounced.
"That causes lockdown of half the clinic, disrupts the workflow, and puts people at risk.
"With the drive-through system, every patient brings their own isolation room with them, and there is no need for disinfecting the waiting room every time."
Medical centres around New Zealand have warned they could have to close if people infect the doctors or their staff with the Covid-19 virus.
People who suspect they may have the virus are being told to get help over the phone rather than show up at doctors' practices.
An Auckland woman who tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday had
been assessed at her GP's practice the previous day
. The doctor at Westgate Medical Centre who treated her is now in self-isolation.
Howe said elderly patients at his centre, High Street Health Hub, had been concerned about coming in for appointments since Covid-19 cases were confirmed in New Zealand.
The mortality rate for the virus is estimated to be around 8 per cent for people aged over 70 and 15 per cent for people over 80, compared with about 2 per cent for the broader population.
"I was looking after a patient in his 70s who was coming in for an operation, and he said 'What happens if someone comes in for a swab? I am at the greatest risk'," Howe said.
"There is a lot of fear in the community. We are not trying to promote fear, but to preserve patient workflow and protect the most vulnerable people."
