As the number of Covid cases continues to rise both in the Bay of Plenty and rest of New Zealand, so too does the demand for testing.

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health reported 2846 new community cases nationwide, with 86 in the Bay of Plenty.

The Ministry of Health continues to stress the importance of the right people being tested for the right reasons.

"Over the last week, a significant number of concerned people who don't need a test are going to get a test – those are people who don't have any Covid-19 symptoms and are not a contact of a case," says a spokesperson for the Ministry.

"People should only get tested if they have cold or flu symptoms, have been identified as a close contact of a case, or have been asked to get tested by a health official.

SunLive has been contacted numerous times throughout the week about the First Ave Covid-19 Community Testing centre.

People contact us on Monday to report large traffic delays around the site.

Due to long queues forming on First Ave, the Bay of Plenty District Health issued statement asking people to head to the Baypark testing site. Read more here.

On Tuesday, SunLive was contacted again by a concerned parent saying she had shown up to the First Ave testing centre, only to be told it was closed and she needed to go to Baypark or the Mount Sports Centre.

'I decided to go to the Baypark one. I would have been in the queue for about an hour or more.”

BOPDHB Covid-19 Community Care and Partnership Lead Helen De Vere confirms the First Ave testing centre has been temporarily closed until Friday.

The most up-to-date information about testing centres around the Bay of Plenty can be found on www.healthpoint.co.nz.

'A pop-up testing centre is open at Mount Maunganui Sports Centre, on the corner of Maunganui and Hull Roads.

'The centre is open between 9 am and 3 pm from today until Friday. Other sites, such as the drive-through centre at Baypark accessible off Truman Lane in Mount Maunganui, are open from 10 am to 3 pm, seven days a week.”

Testing centre at Baypark.

A full list of testing centres, and opening hours, can be found on www.healthpoint.co.nz

Helen says a larger pop-up testing centre at the Mount Maunganui Sports Centre, corner of Maunganui & Hull Roads, is being established for this week to better serve Tauranga's Covid-19 testing needs and response to Omicron.

'The Bay of Plenty District Health Board has shifted staff from First Ave's Covid-19 Community Testing Centre to this site until Friday.

'The Mount Maunganui Sports Centre offers more space to increase capacity, as the Bay of Plenty and Aotearoa New Zealand continue responding to Omicron.”

Current case numbers in the Bay of Plenty. Image: BOPDHB Facebook.

Helens says testing continues to be a crucial tool in NZ's Covid-19 response. But, as case numbers grow, so too does demand at Covid-19 testing centres.

'We appreciate the community's patience as we do all we can to manage the growing demand at our testing sites around the Bay of Plenty.

'The Bay of Plenty District Health Board wishes to remind people that they do not need to get tested unless they are unwell with cold or flu symptoms, have been identified as a close contact of a case, or have been instructed to do so by health officials.”

A breakdown of areas of where Covid cases are in the Bay of Plenty. Image: BOPDHB Facebook.