Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Jim Boult welcomed the Ministry of Health’s decision today to establish a temporary ‘pop-up’ COVID-19 testing centre in Frankton. This follows the positive test of a person currently in South Korea who visited Queenstown in early July.

Southern District Health Board (SDHB) will open the centre on Tuesday 4 August in the car park of Pak ‘n Save (302 Hawthorne Drive, Frankton) assisted by Council staff and contractors, and the store’s management.

Mayor Boult said it was a responsible precautionary measure.

“We can all be proud of the actions we have taken to date, but the recent case of the person travelling to South Korea is an important reminder that we must remain vigilant. In that sense, the temporary testing centre is a good insurance policy and we are very happy to support our health officials with this latest initiative,” he said.

“There are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand outside managed isolation facilities but one only has to look at the situation across the Tasman to realise how quickly the virus can spread if allowed to do so.”

“I would encourage as many people as possible to get a test so the Ministry can build a broad picture across the whole community. In particular, I would ask employers to give their staff the opportunity to visit during working hours if they so wish,” said Mayor Boult.

The temporary testing facility will be very similar to the one established in the same location in April this year.

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