The Whakatāne COVID-19 assessment centre will be changing its opening hours.

The new hours will be 9am to 4pm daily, this means the Community Based Assessment Centre at the Whakatāne War Memorial Hall will be closing two hours earlier than before.

Bay of Plenty Community Based Health Services lead Dr Joe Bourne says the move came as a result of processes being fine-tuned.

'We've been able to fine tune the processes since the assessment centre was launched and are comfortable that we are able to see the current anticipated numbers within the new opening hours.”

'Should those numbers increase we have the scope and capacity to move with that and increase the hours again should that be necessary.”

Between Thursday, April 2, and Monday, April 6, the average number of patients seen each day at the centre was 48.

Experience has shown that there was also a tendency for the majority of those patients to be seen in the morning, says Joe.

The assessment centre will still be operating daily and will be open throughout Easter Weekend at the new time of 9am to 4pm.

Change of site for COVID-19 assessment centre in Ōpōtiki

There has been a change of venue for the COVID-19 assessment centre which is being launched in Ōpōtiki from today.

The 'Pop Up | Drive Thru” centre will now be located at:

The Ōpōtiki Senior Citizens Hall

1 King Street (corner of King and Nelson Streets)

Ōpōtiki

There will be personnel at the original site, Ōpōtiki Memorial Park, to redirect those members of the public who arrive at the previously advertised location.

From Thursday, going forward, the centre will operate three days a week until further notice. It will run on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10am-2pm.

Ōpōtiki Pop Up | Drive Thru

COVID-19 Assessment Centre

The Ōpōtiki Community Based Assessment Centre (CBAC), based at The Ōpōtiki Senior Citizens Hall is a drive-thru facility. The purpose is to assess, test and manage people with potential COVID-19 symptoms. This is to allow Ōpōtiki residents access to local COVID-19 assessment and testing.

All patients with the following symptoms are eligible to be seen at the drive-thru facility:

• Cough
• Shortness of Breath
• Sore Throat
• Runny Nose

All symptoms can be with or without fever. If you have your NHI number, please bring this with you.

If you are unsure if you meet the eligibility, please call your General Practice or Healthline for advice.

Ōpōtiki Assessment Centre will operate three times per week:

• Monday 10am – 2pm
• Thursday 10am – 2pm
• Saturday 10am – 2pm

All patients are required to arrive at the drive-thru assessment centre in a vehicle, only with people within your bubble.

For further information on COVID-19, the latest health updates relating to it, plus answers to frequently asked questions, the BOP and Lakes DHBs have created a new website. You can find it at: covid19.bopdhb.govt.nz