Once again, we find ourselves in level three lockdown. This time, we had less time to prepare, with Jacinda Ardern announcing it on Tuesday around 9:30 p.m. and the lockdown coming into force on Wednesday at 12:00 p.m.

With cases in New Zealand outside of managed isolation, people are scrambling to get tested. Testing facilities across Auckland have been swamped, with some having to stay open until 11:00 p.m., five hours later than they were supposed to, just to clear the backlog of people waiting to be tested. Over 950 cars were waiting outside of St Lukes testing station on Thursday morning. 

Luckily, there are some closer to home options for those of us in Rodney that feel like we may need a test. There are testing stations in Wellsford and Warkworth, that are open from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. However, they are doing things a little differently to testing stations in Auckland.

No walk-ins are being accepted at these testing facilities. Everyone needs to have called and made an appointment in advance. In Wellsford, you will then be asked to wait in your car and telephoned when it is time for your swab. The Wellsford station can be reached on 09 423 8086 and the Warkworth station can be reached on 09 425 8585.

The no walk-in policy has worked well so far, helping to keep things running smoothly and avoiding the large lines of traffic which disrupt others on the roads. 

On Wednesday, the Wellsford station carried out around 150 tests, which is a respectable amount for a station of its size and number of staff.

If you are experiencing symptoms of Covid-19, such as a cough, sore throat, shortness of breath or high temperature, call Coast to Coast Healthcare and set up an appointment with the Warkworth or Wellsford testing stations as soon as possible.