Getting tested for COVID-19
Taranaki DHB has four community-based locations in the Taranaki (New Plymouth, Waitara, Hawera and Opunake) for COVID-19 testing.
If you are feeling unwell and experiencing symptoms relating to COVID-19 you can get advice and arrange testing through the following options:
- Call your family GP or medical centre. If you’ve been referred to the testing clinics from your doctor/GP please go home and wait for clinic staff to contact you with a test appointment time. We ask you not to show up without an appointment, as this will help us manage the waiting times better.
- Or you can call your local COVID-19 testing clinic in New Plymouth, Waitara, Opunake or Hawera (details below).
For Māori health support and information on testing please contact:
COVID-19 testing clinics
Please call or text the testing clinics first. If you’ve been referred to the testing clinics from your doctor/GP please go home and wait for clinic staff to contact you with a test appointment time. We ask you not to show up without an appointment, as this will help us manage the waiting times better. There is NO CHARGE for testing, it is FREE.
Please note, the testing clinics are only for COVID-19 swab testing and do not provide any other medical treatment, including influenza vaccinations. You need to contact your general practice, doctor or pharmacy for this.
NEW PLYMOUTH
Base Hospital,
David Street,
Westown,
New Plymouth
Located in the old St Johns Ambulance building (Lorna Street/Gate 3 entrance)
PHONE: Please call/text in advance: 027 380 1433
HOURS: Monday - Friday, 9am-3pm / Saturday and Sunday, 9am-1pm
MediCross Urgent Care & GP Clinic, Egmont Street, New Plymouth
PHONE: Please call to book an appointment: (06) 759 8915
HOURS: Medicross is open 8am - 8pm, but testing hours are between 8am- 4pm, 7 days a week / e-referral will be operational soon.
HĀWERA
Hāwera Hospital, Hunter Street, Hāwera
PHONE: Please call/text 027 380 0894 and discuss your needs with the testing team and they will arrange an appropriate time for you to come in, or find a solution for testing if you cannot access one of the clinics. There is NO CHARGE for testing, it is FREE.
HOURS: 9am - 12pm, 7 days a week in Hāwera
WAITARA
Waitara Health Centre,
26 Grey Street, Waitara
PHONE: Please call in advance (06) 754 8119
HOURS: Monday - Friday, 8.30am–5.30pm
OPUNAKE
Opunake Health Centre/Coastal Care,
26 Napier Street,
Opunake
PHONE: Please call in advance (06) 761 7324
HOURS: Monday - Friday, 8.30am–4.30pm
Visitors policy
At Alert Level 2, Taranaki DHB’s visitor policy remains unchanged. However we now have door controls at all of our main hospital and health centre entrances. People coming on-site are reminded to physical distance where possible, use hand sanitizer on entry, practise cough or sneeze etiquette and use the QR code for tracing purposes.
To ensure our patients have the opportunity to get well and care is able to be provided by our clinicians we strictly adhere to our visiting hours found below. Visiting outside of these hours is not permitted unless by prior arrangement with nursing staff.
Please do not come in for appointments and to visit patients if you are unwell or have been unwell or have had a stomach bug in the last two days.
We encourage patients to bring in their cell phones to keep in touch with families.
General inquiry calls are not put through to the wards.
Please download the NZ COVID-19 tracer app so you can use the QR Codes when coming into our hospitals and other health centres. This will help you keep a record of when you’ve visited our sites.
While it is great for everyone to be able to visit those in hospital we need to remember that patients in our care need time for rest and recovery.
WARD 2A, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B
2pm - 8pm
Monday - Sunday
CHILDREN’S WARD (WARD 2B)
Open visiting for immediate family/caregiver only
General visiting 2pm - 8pm
MENTAL HEALTH
Monday - Friday 3pm - 8pm
Saturday - Sunday 10am - 8pm
INTENSIVE CARE UNIT
Open visiting for immediate family only
However no visiting between 12pm - 2pm
SEXUAL HEALTH CLINIC
Phone 0508 SEX HEALTH (0508 739 432), 188 Powderham Street New Plymouth
Monday 6pm - 8pm
Tuesday & Friday 9am - 12pm
TE RANGIMARIE HOSPICE
5 David Street
Open visiting for families, general visiting 10am - 7pm daily