20 April 2020

Two general practice (GP) clinics - Marton’s Stewart Street Surgery and Bulls Medical Centre - will begin testing (swabbing) people in Rangitikei District for COVID-19 from Monday 20 April 2020.

Previously, testing and swabbing people in the district was done through the community based assessment centre (CBAC) in Blackwell Street, Marton.

Whanganui Emergency Operations Centre Controller Stuart Hylton says reverting to general practice based testing makes more sense because testing numbers at the CBAC were relatively low.

“We still want people with COVID-19 symptoms to be assessed and potentially swabbed, in line with the Ministry of Health’s direction to increase swabbing numbers in the Whanganui Region. Accessing swabbing from two locations in the Rangitikei District improves people’s access to getting swabbed when they need to be,” says Mr Hylton.

“Thanks to all health workers at the Marton CBAC for their dedication to making the community feel more at ease during this uncertain time.

“In addition to the general practice service it is intended that a ‘pop up’ CBAC service will be delivered by CBAC staff and the Te Kotuku Hauora team at their facility in the week beginning Monday 20 April. We will let the community know more about this soon,” says Mr Hylton.

Please contact the following GP clinics if you live in the Rangitikei District and suspect you have COVID-19.

• Stewart Street Surgery – 26 Stewart Street, Marton - 06 327 8884
• Bulls Medical Centre - 71 High Street, Bulls - 06 322 122

You can also ring Healthline on 0800 358 5453.

The following five CBACs continue to assess and test people for COVID-19 in the Whanganui and Waimarino Districts.

• Whanganui – Whanganui Hospital campus, 100 Heads Road – 8am to 9pm, seven days a week 
• Whanganui - Gonville Health, Abbot Street - 9am to 4pm weekdays
• Whanganui - Te Oranganui Medical Centre, Wicksteed Street – 8.30am – 5pm weekdays (for those enrolled with Te Oranganui Trust services as well as other Iwi organisations and services)
• Taihape - Taihape Health - 9am to 4.30pm weekdays
• Ruapehu - Raetihi Community Space, 42 Seddon Street - 9am to 4.30pm weekdays