Reduced community demand for COVID-19 testing means the CBAC at Queenstown Memorial Centre will be closing its doors at the end of day Monday (May 11).

There’s been a steady decline in demand for swabbing in the Queenstown Lakes district over the past two weeks - in the range of five to a single test per day, the Southern District Health Board (SDHB) said.

Designated practices in the area – including Wanaka Medical Centre and Aspiring Medical Centre in Wanaka as well as Queenstown Medical Centre and Wakatipu Medical Centre - have the capacity to provide COVID-19 testing to the local population, including international workers and visitors who may not be enrolled with a practice.

And while the CBAC is shutting its doors for now, it remains equipped to quickly scale up again if the need arises, the SDHB said.

“This is an indication that our CBACs, as well as our surveillance and outreach swabbing programmes, have done the work they are meant to do: make swabbing accessible for as many people as possible, away from hospital,” WellSouth medical director Dr Stephen Graham said.

Since WellSouth’s Queenstown CBAC was set up on March 24, 1373 assessments have been carried out and 1363 swabs taken. A pop-up CBAC on April 16 tested 353 asymptomatic supermarket shoppers and a further 247 swabs were done at six Queenstown backpacker accommodations from April 24-27. 

All tests from the surveillance or outreach testing – aimed at identifying any undetected community transmission of the virus - have been negative.

“Dozens of WellSouth and general practice staff have stepped up to work the CBACs and do the community testing. They have been real heroes in all this and we are very grateful for their selflessness and for the work they’ve done,” Stephen said.

WellSouth’s CBACs in Dunedin and Invercargill continue to operate as usual, 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, and 10am to 2pm weekends.

Anyone seeking COVID-19 assessment and testing in the Queenstown Lakes area can see their own general practice or a designated practice and Covid-19 testing is free, regardless of where the testing takes place. Find more information here.

WellSouth’s 0800 VIRUS19 (0800 847 8719) call centre continues to operate, providing advice and referring patients to designated and general practices when testing is required.

PHOTO: Wanaka App