Free COVID Testing Is Available Through General Practices As Well As At Community-based Testing Centres In Canterbury

Canterbury Health Laboratories, part of Canterbury DHB, processed more than 4000 COVID-19 test swabs yesterday - a record for local testing. This included swabs taken at the drop-in CBTCs (community-based testing centres) and in general practice.

Dr Helen Skinner, Senior Responsible Officer for the COVID-19 response, Canterbury DHB says this is a great cross-system response that will help keep Canterbury people safe by discovering any community cases of COVID-19 early and allowing contact-tracing to respond quickly if needed.

“I’d like to emphasise though, that there are no cases of COVID-19 in our community and none being treated in any Canterbury DHB facility at this time. We’d very much like to keep it that way, and I would like to thank our Canterbury public for playing their part by sticking to the Alert Level 4 rules and stepping up to get tested when they have symptoms, or if they have been to one of the locations of interest.”

“We know and acknowledge that there have been longer waits for testing than we would have liked this week. We are doing all we can to meet the unprecedented demand while continuing our drive to get people vaccinated as quickly as possible. Be kind to one another and to our dedicated staff who are there to help you and have been working long hours, on the front line and behind the scenes, to get things done,” Dr Skinner says.

As well as at our Community-based Testing Centres, testing is also available across general practice teams, with some having significant capacity currently. People can see call their own General Practice and ask, or see the list below for which practices are testing over the weekend, and their opening times. Note, some are only testing patients who are enrolled there or by appointment.

COVID-19 Community Based Testing Centres (CBACs) in Christchurch and Canterbury

• Orchard Road CBAC (near Airport), 174 Orchard Road, (Off Harewood Road), Christchurch. Open 9am-4pm, 7 days a week until further notice. (Walk-in/no referral required).
• Whānau Ora Community Clinic CBAC (Wainoni), 250 Pages Road, Wainoni, Christchurch. Open 9am-3:30pm, 7 days a week. (Walk-in/no referral required)
• Ashburton Hospital site CBAC - 28 Elizabeth Street, Ashburton hospital site, Open 10am-2pm until Sunday 22 August. (Walk-in/no referral required)

No on-demand or walk-in COVID-19 testing is being carried out at Christchurch Hospital.

General Practice and Urgent Care Testing available this weekend (Saturday 21- Sunday 22 August)

• Moorhouse Medical Centre 8am-8pm Saturday and Sunday. Walk-up and appointment.
• Riccarton Clinic and After Hours 8am-8pm Saturday and Sunday. By appointment only.
• Rolleston Central Health 9-12pm Sunday, by appointment and enrolled patients only.
• Selwyn Village Healthcare 9-1pm Sunday, by appointment only.
• We Care Health, book via website

Rural After Hours Services – Testing available by appointment only (Saturday 21- Sunday 22 August)

• Three Rivers Health – Ashburton
• Amberley Medical Centre – Amberley
• Hanmer Medical Centre – Hanmer
• Kaikōura Healthcare - Kaikōura

More information on testing is here and if you save the link you will be able to check for changes: https://www.cdhb.health.nz/your-health/canterbury-dhb-covid-19-information/#4

Masks or face coverings must be worn at all times at Canterbury DHB sites and will be provided if people don’t have them. There are exceptions for people who have conditions or a disability that makes wearing a face covering inappropriate. The new rules for masks that apply nationwide are here. Hand sanitiser stations are available and should also be used.

Please scan in using the QR code, wherever you go using the government’s COVID-19 Tracer App, and ensure Bluetooth is turned on within the app – this means you’ll receive alerts if you’ve been exposed to a case.

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