Covid-19 coronavirus: 389 tests carried out in Rotorua yesterday

There was a mad rush of Rotorua residents to the community based Covid assessment centre on Vaughan Rd. Photo / Ben Fraser

Lakes District Health Board has revealed more than 500 people had Covid-19 tests in Rotorua and Taupō yesterday.At the Vaughan Rd centre in Rotorua, 389 people received tests between 9am to 4pm, and at the Miro St centre in Taupō 165 people were tested.

Lakes DHB said in a statement they encouraged anyone with symptoms to go along to its Covid-19 testing centres in Rotorua and Taupō and have a test.

Two of the cases from Auckland confirmed to have Covid-19 travelled to the Lakes DHB area over the weekend.

Toi Te Ora Public Health and the National Contact Tracing Centre are following up all the contacts in the places the visitors went to and will be informing people of what they need to do.

The hours of operation for the testing centres have been extended, and both centres in Rotorua and Taupō are now open from 9am-4pm seven days a week.

For the next four days, a second or pop-up test centre is open at the Rotorua International Stadium on Devon St West, again during the hours of 9am-4pm.

There were 389 people tested for Covid in Rotorua yesterday. Photo / Ben Fraser

Lines of people waiting to be tested at the Rotorua International Stadium testing centre are all ready extended down the road.

In Turangi, a community testing station run during the middle of the day on Wednesday completed 67 test swabs.

Further drop-in testing is available at Turangi - a testing station will be run next to the Turangi Community Health Centre 10am to 2pm todayand then on Friday, 10am to 12pmn, in the carpark opposite Turangi Police Station.

The key messages for Alert Level 2 are:
· keep your distance from other people in public
· wash your hands
· sneeze and cough into your elbow
· keep a track of where you've been and who you've seen
· wear a mask if you can

If you're unwell:
· If you're sick, stay home. Don't go to work or school. Don't socialise.
· If you have symptoms of cold or flu call your doctor or Healthline and get advice about being tested, or go along to the testing centres.
· If you have been told to self-isolate you must do so immediately.

Rotorua residents lined up for testing yesterday. Photo / Ben Fraser