URGENT: COVID-19 Testing in Primary Care

Kia ora koutou,
 
We are expecting an increased demand for COVID-19 testing after the recent announcement of a positive COVID-19 case who visited Wellington from Sydney from 19 until 21 June 2021.
 
Communications are now being released around locations of interest, all those who have visited a place of interest at the outlined time and date are considered a close contact, and therefore required to stay home and get a test. Accordingly, there will be a surge in demand for COVID-19 testing in the wider Wellington region.
 
Please support our Community Testing Centres by providing COVID-19 testing services to those people who require it. Primary health providers would not be expected to charge for this test or consultation. Primary Health Care workers who provide testing at this time should use the current PHO / DHB contract arrangement for payment.
 
The Ministry of Health has issued a surveillance code to help group together persons requiring a test due to attending a location of interest. Please include the code: SURV-WLG1 on the accompanying lab form.
 
Thank you in advance, although this is pertinent to Wellington, we are informing our wider PHO network in case contact tracing identifies further contacts nationwide.