default-output-block.skip-main
Regional | Bay of Plenty

Latest COVID-19 tests in Te Puke come back negative

More than 250 results for COVID-19 in Te Puke have returned negative. This follows 261 negative test results last weekend from the seasonal workers that were tested.

The 265 people who were tested were casual contacts of a recently confirmed case of COVID-19 in an accommodation provider.

Dr Joe Bourne, who is in charge of the Bay of Plenty DHB’s Community-Based Health Services response, says it is a pleasing outcome.

The DHB was worked with the accommodation to set up an assessment clinic within their premises to test the people staying there. Dr Bourne expresses the co-operation between the community of Te Puke and the CBAC teams (DHB Community Based Assessment Centres) allowed them to deliver an efficient assessment process

“We had a great collaboration with the kiwifruit industry to support the workers and that has given a result that should give the community confidence.”

The people tested were considered at low risk of infection because they had not been in close contact with the affected staff member however testing was done as a precautionary measure to determine if there is any community spread.

All close contacts of the person who tested positive for COVID-19 have also been tested with their results also returning negative.

More testing is likely to occur in the coming weeks.