Covid 19 coronavirus: only six test centers open in Auckland, none on weekends

By RNZ

Auckland’s Covid community testing centers have been drastically reduced, with only six still in operation, and none open on weekends.

Health Minister Chris Hipkins is investigating the change and says the tests should remain easily accessible.

There were 20 dedicated community testing centers at the height of the latest Covid outbreak, but most have been removed now that Auckland is at alert level 1.

An Auckland resident, who asked not to be named, struggled to find a place to get tested over the weekend, with most GPs closed.

Healthline had told them to get a swab because they weren’t well and they had been in contact with someone who had recently been abroad.

But it was Saturday morning, they couldn’t get an appointment at the recommended clinic before it closed, and they couldn’t find one open on Sunday.

“It’s pretty tiring when you’re already sick having to figure out where you’re going to go and get tested, and you’re trying to be responsible and get tested.

“We were very surprised that we couldn’t do the right thing,” they said.

A spokesman for the city’s district health boards said additional pop-up centers were not needed at level 1 and GPs and urgent care clinics had the tests well covered.

That included dedicated clinics where people could be screened even if they are not patients, he said.

However, most of the clinics listed on the Auckland Regional Public Health Service website are not open on Sundays.

Hipkins has asked the Ministry of Health to discuss the new schedule with the district health boards.

In a statement, he said it was his “clear expectation” that the tests would be available seven days a week.

Co-leader of Te Rōpū Whakakaupapa Urutā, the Maori pandemic group Sue Crengle, said people should be able to easily get a swab the day they need it.

While it was okay to close some testing centers when the city was at Tier 1, district health boards should be prepared to scale again if necessary, he said.

“If they hear reports of people not being able to access a test when they want it, they should take it seriously and really review the suitability of their test sites and the hours that they are open,” he said.

And everyone had to remember to get tested if they were sick and take other steps to prevent the disease from coming back because it was becoming more prevalent in the rest of the world, he said.

“Kia mataara. Watch out, stay alert because we are unique in the world and we cannot be complacent,” he said.

The Auckland District Health Board spokesperson said they were continually reviewing capacity and could act quickly to respond to changes in demand, as they did with the August outbreak.