"It takes a few minutes and all you do is spit in a tube. There's nothing right up the nostril.
"A lot of people don't want that other [PCR] test but with this one, the hesitancy is gone.
"Our team didn't even have to leave the building."
He hoped other businesses in Whanganui would use the free service.
"Something like this will do wonders. It's a no-brainer, literally, because nothing is going
right up your nose.
"It's helping to keep the community safe. Early detection is the key in all this."
The iwi/community-led initiative, launched on January 19, is based at the former Inspire Health & Fitness Centre in Wilson St.
Whanganui Inspire Trust chairman Ken Mair said the saliva test was "on par, if not better" than the more invasive PCR test.
He said uptake of the test was starting to grow in the past two to three days.
"We've got a trial period up until the end of March to see how it goes.
"It's supported by the Ministry of Health and the [Whanganui] DHB.
"They understand that it's another tool in the box in regard to the safety within our community."
Inspire was excited to offer the testing for "our iwi, our hapū and our community", Mair said.
Like Coneybeer, he said detecting Covid-19 early was critical.
"Our test will pick it up when you're asymptomatic, from the moment you get it.
"There is a bit of a challenge with something like the rapid antigen test (RAT), in the context that it only picks up what they call 'high-viral'.
"It might say you're all clear, but in three days' time you might have the symptoms. In the meantime, from day one to day three, you've infected a whole lot of people.
"With the saliva test, it gets you straight away."
Optimal testing results require that people do not eat, drink, smoke, vape or chew gum for one hour before being tested.
The Inspire Manaaki Whānau Centre in Wilson St is open for walk-ins on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9am to 3pm.
