A pop-up COVID-19 testing site has been set up in Coromandel after a man with the virus from Auckland visited over the weekend, and others across the region.
Before Wednesday, there were no casual pop-in testing stations on the peninsula at all, with anyone showing symptoms required to book in with their GP.
"Our GPs, we haven't got that many of them in town for a start and we don't want to overrun them with just testing," Coromandel District Councillor John Morrissey told Newstalk ZB on Wednesday morning.
"They're there for other things as well."
The Waikato District Health Board has set up a drive-thru testing site in Coromandel that doesn't require an appointment - at the car park of the Thames-Coromandel District Council offices at 355 Kapanga Rd, Coromandel.
Another has been set up in the car park of the Te Korowai Hauora O Hauraki offices at 210 Richmond St, Thames, to the south.
In Hamilton, the usual testing centre at Founders Theatre, 221 Tristram St, has been joined by another at the Claudelands Event Centre - enter Gate 3, off Brooklyn Rd. It'll be open until 6pm Wednesday evening, a bit later than Founders Theatre, which closes at 4pm.
"The DHB is encouraging people with cold and flu symptoms to seek testing while those without symptoms and/or visited a location of interest are asked to contact Healthline (0800 358 5453) or their GP for advice before seeking a test," Waikato DHB said.
Auckland has also beefed up its testing capacity. In addition to the usual community testing locations in Northcote, Mt Eden, Henderson, New Lynn, Wiri and Otara, a pop-up centre will operate at Woodall Park, Devonport, for the rest of the week until 8pm each night.
Devonport is where the man who tested positive for the Delta variant of the virus lives.
Another will operate at North Harbour Stadium's Carpark B until 7pm each day through to Sunday - enter via Oteha Valley Rd. Also on the North Shore, a testing station will operate until 6pm each day through to Sunday at Eventfinda Stadium, 17 Silverfield Rd in Wairau Valley.
Those in the city needing an urgent test can go to St Lukes Whitecross, 52 St Lukes Rd, until 4pm each day until Friday.
Find a full list of Auckland locations here, and Waikato/Coromandel here.
