Drive-through swab services at the Suva Civic Centre will continue from today until Friday (July 30), the Ministry of Health and Medical Services has confirmed.
In a statement, the ministry stated that as part of its COVID-19 mitigation phase, this drive-through swab service was specifically targeted at people most at risk of severe COVID illness.
“The Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) will be used at the swab drive-through service, with results available within the hour,” the ministry stated.
“Those who are symptomatic and return a negative RDT will undergo another confirmation test.
“At the end of the drive-through swab service, each person swabbed will know their COVID-19 status, be informed of their risk for developing severe COVID-19 and receive advice for treatment of their symptoms.”
Members of the public are reminded to practice COVID-19 safe measures when using the Suva Civic Centre drive-through, particularly, the wearing of a mask that adequately covers the nose and mouth.
Individuals who are 40-years-old and above and experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms – cough, runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing, fatigue/extreme tiredness, headache, aches and pains, sore throat, fever, diarrhoea, red eyes (conjunctivitis), loss of taste or smell, a rash on the skin – are advised to visit the Suva Civic Centre drive-through swab service.
The ministry also clarified that the following services are not available at the Suva Civic Centre drive-through:
* Primary contacts who have been in self-quarantine and requiring clearance;
* Crossing border or domestic repatriation clearance;
* Symptomatic and under 40 years of age;
* Routine swabbing for essential business or critical infrastructure.
The ministry stated that COVID-19 infections were widespread across the Suva-Nausori containment zone and it was transitioning its plan for COVID-19 accordingly to address the increasing number of positive cases, and to protect those who most at risk of being severely ill.