The pop-up testing station at Princess Margaret Hospital. Photo / Logan Church
The pop-up testing station at Princess Margaret Hospital. Photo / Logan Church
Cars are already being turned away from the drive-in queue at a pop-up testing station in Christchurch.
The car queue quickly filled only minutes after the testing site opened at 11.30am with officials shutting off vehicle access to ensure the footpath and road wasn't blocked.
Dozens of people were also walking into the clinic, lining up in the shade beside the hospital building while health workers wore full PPE under the hot sun.
One woman, who spoke to the NZ Herald as she went in, said she had no symptoms but wanted to be get a test for disease as she had been at the Countdown supermarket within minutes of the infected hotel worker.
She had brought along her receipt so she could show the health staff the time she was at the supermarket.
Another man being tested, Chris, said he was there because he was at the supermarket at the same time as the first community Covid-19 case in Christchurch.
"I thought it would be better to get checked, then I can get back to business as usual."
He said he is feeling "alright" about the community cases in the city.
"They know who they are and are trying to track it down so that's good."
A man in his 70's said he was there for a test as he is considered high risk.
"I thought if [Covid-19] is getting out in Christchurch again I better do myself a duty and get tested.
"I got tested at the very beginning but I haven't been tested for about four months."
The man said he believed the system was working but something needed to be done about the protective gear people were using.
Hannah Gordon, community testing clinical lead, said she was not surprised at the turnout at the pop-up testing site.
"This is what we tend to see with pop-ups, they tend to drum up a bit of attention," said Gordon.
"They can be a bit slower to put people through...because we are using mobile tech.
"It can take a while to push everyone through."
Gordon said most of the people she had spoken to were asymptomatic but had visited the Countdown supermarket or Chemist Warehouse where the positive Covid-19 case had visited.
She said there was a lot of testing capacity in Christchurch, and a decision would be made later today if another pop-up testing site was needed tomorrow.
The pop-up clinic was open until 4:30pm on Wednesday afternoon.
It was important to look after the staff as well, she said, with health workers working under the sun in full PPE gear.
Testing was free at the DHB's Covid-19 testing site, she said.
Pop-up testing station at the Princess Margaret Hospital. Photo / Logan Church
Free Covid testing continues to be available at most general practices in Canterbury and at two Community Based Assessment Centres (CBACs):
• Orchard Road CBAC (near Airport), 174 Orchard Road, (Off Harewood Road). Open 9am-4pm, 7 days a week until further notice. (Walk-in/no referral required).
