May 01, 2020
Campervan takes COVID testing down Whangaroa backroads
South Auckland’s Whānau Ora Community Clinic has been on the road with a testing van going around Whangaroa in the far north to test for COVID-19.
Director George Ngatai says as well as giving about 70 tests since Tuesday, it has been able to assess people for other conditions and deliver flu vaccines.
They have also been able to offer peace of mind to those who may struggle to get to a doctor but have had flu-like symptoms.
"Within 24 to 48 hours they have got results back. What we are doing is providing them with that opportunity to get themselves tested. Once they have got their response from the people who assess it they have come back with negative results and they are really pleased and then they are able to worry about how they are going to work and live in level 3," Mr Ngatai says,
Use of the testing vehicle, a modified Britz campervan, could be extended to provide other health services to the communities.
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