4 Aug 2020

South Auckland clinic sees increase in Covid-19 tests taken

6:41 am on 4 August 2020

A clinic in South Auckland has experienced another flurry of people being tested for Covid-19 after a man who had been to the area tested positive in South Korea.

COVID-19 Nasal swab laboratory test in hospital lab

Photo: 123RF

The man was in Manurewa and Takanini for from 20 June to 20 July.

The Whānau Ora Community Clinic in Wiri is one of the four testing centres in Auckland and the only one in South Auckland.

Clinical director Vanshdeep Tangri said the centre had been busier in the past week.

"Normally we would get 15 to 20 people coming a day but the last few days we've had about roughly about 60-70 per day."

Dr Tangri said the number of people fluctuated, especially when there were news of cases outside the managed isolation hotels.

He said it was a good thing people were getting tested as it would help determine if there was any community transmission.

"I think people are just a bit anxious. If you're worried, then obviously call your regular doctor or Healthline or you can just come in and talk to one of us here at the testing centre as well and we can have a chat about what's going on and do we need to test you or not."

At Manurewa Town Centre, many people were not aware of the person who tested positive in South Korea.

But local woman Pauline Henry said it was a worry.

"He has been at places that I have been with my son and my sister, my family. Yes, I'm concerned."

Henry would like to see more being done to prevent any risk.

"I just hope that the government get it together and actually get these people to quarantine properly or do the procedures of checking. Be more vigilant, especially within the hotels that people are staying at now."

Another local Vicki Godinet was not too concerned.

"We haven't had any community transmission. I think it stays that way. I think they need to be a bit stricter on testing and isolating."

Local nurse Larissa Sproul thought the risk of community transmission was low.

"We're not worried because his close contacts have tested as negative but we think it's still important that people go and have testing done.

"That's almost a good wake-up call for people to actually go and have test done. If they do have a running nose, sore throat, they need to be tested."

A spokesperson for Auckland's three DHBs, Waitematā, Auckland and Counties Manukau, said there was no evidence of transmission in New Zealand involving this case and the public health risk considered was low.

"All domestic contacts of this case, including the five household contacts, tested so far have returned negative results," the spokesperson said.

"While the risk is low, as part of targeted surveillance public health officials have been doing some additional contact-tracing work in the South Auckland area where the person was based."

More than 360 people were tested for Covid-19 over the weekend at the city's four new community centres, in Northcote, Henderson, Grafton and Wiri. That was up on the last two weekends - when 109 and 97 tests were completed respectively.

All those tested so far have returned negative results, the spokesperson said.

Queenstown residents are also being urged to get tested for Covid-19 today, at a drive-through testing clinic at the Pak'n'Save car park in Frankton, operating from 9am to 5pm today.

The 22-year-old man was in Queenstown between 1 and 4 July.

WellSouth medical director Dr Stephen Graham said people getting taking up the offer of surveillance testing were not required to self-isolate and everyone should get tested regardless of whether they had symptoms.

"We want to make certain there is no community transmission of the virus. Getting as many residents tested as we can will help us confirm we continue to be Covid-free," he said.

Get the RNZ app

for ad-free news and current affairs