Hawke's Bay Covid-19 testing: Surveillance testing of Napier Port workers begins

Covid-19 surveillance testing has begun on Napier port workers. Photo / File

More than 240 Napier port workers have been tested for Covid-19 as part of surveillance testing ordered by the director general of health.

On Friday with no warning, Dr Ashley Bloomfield ordered "everyone who works at the maritime border" to be tested by 11.59pm on Monday night. Testing applied for all people who worked at ports around New Zealand who might come into contact with ships' crew.

A Hawke's Bay District Health Board spokeswoman said it had tested 242 workers by Monday afternoon.

The workers were among more than 530 people tested in Hawke's Bay over the weekend, with no one returning a positive test so far, though the results of some tests are yet to come back.

Hawke's Bay District Health Board medical officer of health Dr Nick Jones said because of the numbers of people coming forward to be tested there were some delays in getting a test that same day, but testing staff were working quickly through the backlog.

Test results should be returned within 24-72 hours at the very latest.

Jones said people waiting for a time for a test result and a call back from the testing centre should keep their phones close at hand.

If the call was missed, Jones urged people not to call back, unless the message advised you to.

"This will only clog up the phone lines as the call back process is done by a different team who clinically assess people to understand the urgency of each individual's need for testing."

Jones said testing and assessment for Covid is free, but people need to ring one of the testing stations for an assessment - do not just turn up.

"If you are sick you should stay home. If you are sick and there is a delay in getting an appointment for a test then you are at home, which is where you should be.

"If you don't have any symptoms you don't need a test unless you have been advised by health officials, for example if you're a close contact of a confirmed case or if you work at the border.

"It's also important to remember the basic public health messages, which will help keep our community safe; staying home if you are sick, frequent hand washing and good sneeze and cough etiquette."

Jones said if you haven't already please download the contact tracer app, which allows you to receive a contact alert if you've checked into a location at around the same time as someone with Covid-19, so you can take immediate steps to protect yourself and whānau.

At alert level 2 people who have symptoms or are at higher risk of having come into contact with someone who has Covid-19 will be required to self-isolate while they await their results. The criteria for this is if you have:

- Been in contact with a confirmed or probable case
- Travelled internationally in the last 14 days
- Had direct contact with a person who has travelled overseas. This could include Customs or port workers
- Worked on an international aircraft or shipping vessel or
- Any other criteria requested by the medical officer of health

NUMBERS TO RING TO BOOK A TEST:

People can ring one of the numbers below to book a test, or ring their doctor.
Napier: 06 650 4000 open 9am-5pm Mon-Sun.
Hastings: 06 281 2644 open 8am-8pm Mon-Sun.
Wairoa: 06 838 8333 open 8.30am-5pm Mon-Fri.
Central Hawke's Bay residents need to be referred from their doctor or Healthline: 0800 358 5453.