COVID-19 surveillance testing in Queenstown – Tuesday 04 August
Queenstown residents are encouraged to get out and get tested for COVID-19.
WellSouth primary health network, with the support of Southern DHB and Queenstown Lakes District Council, will again be providing COVID-19 swabbing at a ‘pop-up’ surveillance testing site in Queenstown.
The drive-thru testing centre will be set up at the Pak’nSave car park, 302 Hawthorne Dr, Frankton, Queenstown, on Tuesday 04 August starting at 9am until 5pm.
“We want to make certain there is no community transmission of the virus. Getting as many residents tested as we can will help us confirm we continue to be COVID free,” says Dr Stephen Graham, WellSouth Medical Director.
Testing is free and people getting tested are not asked to self-isolate. They should get tested whether or not they have COVID-19 symptoms, Dr Graham says.
Andrew Swanson-Dobbs, WellSouth CEO says this is a small effort that could has a big impact. “People in the Southern region have done an incredible job helping New Zealand to get to Alert Level 1 and we can’t be complacent now. We need to keep testing levels up and this surveillance site will help achieve that.”
Visitor tested positive in South Korea
The surveillance testing is a continuation of public health response across New Zealand to follow up on the movements of a 22-year-old man who has twice tested positive for COVID19 after travelling back to South Korea from New Zealand last month.
The Ministry of Health has identified that the traveller was in Queenstown from 1-4 July. Anyone who was in Queenstown at that time is asked to get tested – whether or not they have COIVD-19 symptoms.
The traveller also took a bus tour to Milford and joined a boat cruise. Close contacts from this travel have been identified and are being followed up by Southern DHB and Ministry of Health contact tracers.
Public health staff has already been contacting staff working at local businesses at the time the traveller had visited them.
Dr Susan Jack, Medical Officer of Health, Southern DHB, says this incident serves as an important reminder for people to continue to be vigilant and to keep track of their movements: “We need to do everything possible to keep the virus out, and to keep our communities safe and free of COVID. Our message to the public is: Please - take a few minutes and do your part: get tested.”
General practices throughout the region continue to offer COVID-19 testing free of charge. Residents and visitors can contact 800VIRUS19 – if they do not have a GP or if they are unsure of where to go to get tested.
ENDS.