17 Apr 2020

Covid-19: No positive cases yet from random testing in Queenstown

6:18 pm on 17 April 2020

The Southern DHB has not identified any cases of Covid-19 following its random testing people in Queenstown yesterday, with about two-thirds of the results returned.

No caption

Photo: RNZ /Dom Thomas

Southern District Health Board's primary health network, WellSouth, set up a clinic outside Frankton Pak'nSave yesterday to get a more clear picture of the spread of Covid-19.

Testing was voluntary and up to 340 people had it done.

The District Health Board has received about two-thirds of the results back and all have been negative so far.

It said it expected to get the remaining results tomorrow.

Random testing for Covid-19 is also underway in Christchurch, with Pegasus Health setting up a clinic outside the Moorhouse Avenue Pak'n Save.

They will be taking swabs from about 250 to 300 volunteers without symptoms of the virus.

Pegasus Health chief executive Vince Barry said the data will be shared with the Ministry of Health to help the government work out when to lift lockdown restrictions.

He said about 80 tests had been done so far, and it was a fairly quick process for volunteers who could either drive through or walk up.

In Auckland, two more mobile testing clinics were due to be launched this week - in west and north Auckland.

A decision was yet to be made about whether there would be random or sentinel testing.

Waikato DHB said it was also planning more testing this week and Canterbury was setting up a mobile service at a marae.

Ministry of Health said it hoped the additional data would help provide information on community transmission in the regions.

  • If you have symptoms of the coronavirus, call the NZ Covid-19 Healthline on 0800 358 5453 (+64 9 358 5453 for international SIMs) or call your GP - don't show up at a medical centre

Read more about the Covid-19 coronavirus: