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Māori And Pacific COVID-19 Testing Boosted With New Centres
The number of Māori and Pacific people being tested for COVID-19 is set to significantly increase with the opening of two new community testing centres in South Auckland.
Last weekend, a clinic focusing on the needs of the Pacific community opened at South Seas Healthcare in Otara, with a Māori-focused clinic also opening at the Whānau Ora Community Clinic in Wiri.
This brings the total community testing network across the metro Auckland area to 14 sites. (See full list below).
Waitematā DHB CEO and Northern Region COVID-19 lead Dr Dale Bramley said the two new clinics would ensure a culturally appropriate approach to testing for Māori and Pacific.
“This is part of our ongoing efforts across metro Auckland to reduce barriers to testing and ensure people who are showing potential COVID-19 symptoms are undergoing checks for the disease,” Dr Bramley said.
“Although more than 98 per cent of overall tests return a negative result, it is still important that we test wherever people demonstrate potential symptoms, in line with the Ministry of Health’s case definition.
“So far, we have had just over 17,700 people tested across the city at community testing centres, GP practices and urgent care clinics since 21 March.
“Around 20 per cent of these people were Māori or Pacific. The opening of the clinics in Otara and Wiri at the weekend mean we are now in a strong position to keep lifting the rate of testing among Māori and Pacific people as part of our drive toward equitable access across the city.”
The overall number of COVID-19 tests across metro Auckland continues to increase to more than 1300 per day. Dr Bramley said this number would continue to grow, due to further case definition changes for testing from the Ministry of Health.
“We have increased our capacity to test in the community and we have increased the capacity of our labs to process these tests. People can have confidence that we are testing more people than ever for COVID-19 and that cases are being detected as a result,” he said.
Laboratory testing for COVID-19 in Northern Region – Monday 6 April 2020
Number of COVID-19 lab tests reported each day
Community-based COVID-19 testing centres:
| Location | Centre Name, Address and Opening Hours | Referral Process |
| NORTH | Shorecare Northcross 948 East Coast Rd, Northcross, Auckland Open 8am – 4pm, 7 days | No referrals after 3pm Patients to call and book an appointment NO WALK-INS ACCEPTED 021 256 6321 |
| NORTH | AUT Integrated Health 3 Akoranga Drive, Northcote, Auckland Open 8am – 4pm, 7 days | No referrals after 3pm Walk-ins accepted |
| WEST | Henderson Specialist Centre 131 Lincoln Rd, Henderson, Auckland Open 8am – 4pm, 7 days | No referrals after 3pm Walk-ins accepted |
| WEST | Whanau House, Waipareira Trust Henderson 6-8 Pioneer Street, Henderson, Auckland Open 8am – 4pm, 7 days | No referrals after 3pm Walk-ins accepted |
| CENTRAL | White Cross St Lukes Urgent Care Clinic 52 St Lukes Road, Mount Albert, Auckland Open 8am – 4pm, 7 days | No referrals after 3pm Walk-ins accepted |
| CENTRAL | Langimalie Health Centre, Panmure RSA Car Park Domain Road entrance, Panmure, Auckland, Open 8am – 4pm, 7 days | No referrals after 3pm Walk-ins accepted |
| EAST | Spectrum House 292a Botany Road, Howick, Auckland Open 8am – 4pm, 7 days | No referrals after 3pm Walk-ins accepted |
| SOUTH | Local Doctors Airport Oaks 149a Kirkbride Road, Mangere, Auckland Open 8am – 4pm, 7 days | No referrals after 3pm Walk-ins accepted |
| SOUTH | Takanini COVID Testing Clinic 106 Great South Road, Takanini, Auckland Open 8am – 4pm, 7 days | No referrals after 3pm Walk-ins accepted |
| SOUTH | Pukekohe Family Health Centre 10 West Street, Pukekohe, Auckland Open 8am – 4pm, 7 days | No referrals after 3pm Walk-ins accepted |
| SOUTH | The Whanāu Ora Community Clinic 25 Druces Road, Wiri, Auckland. Open 8am – 4pm, 7 days | No referrals after 3pm Walk-ins accepted |
| SOUTH | South Seas Healthcare, Otara 14 Fair Mall Shop 9-12 Otara, Auckland 2023 Open 8am – 4pm, 7 days | No referrals after 3pm Walk-ins accepted |
| RURAL NORTH | Wellsford Dedicated Testing Centre at Coast to Coast Healthcare 220 Rodney St, Wellsford Open 8am – 4pm, 7 days | No referrals after 3pm Walk-ins accepted |
| WAIHEKE | Oneroa Accident and Medical (Waiheke Island) 132 Ocean View Road, Oneroa, Waiheke Open 8am – 4pm, 7 days | No referrals after 3pm Patients can call the site or their GP to arrange testing |022 069 4524 |
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