St John facilitating free testing facility

THE free drive-through Covid-19 testing facilitated by the St John Ambulance (SJA) at the Taurama Aquatic Centre will resume operation today, an official says.
It was closed on Jan 31 by the PNG Sports Foundation which owns the facility because of the non-payment of K5 million in fees by health authorities.
With the current spike in Covid-19 cases, National Pandemic Response Controller David Manning ordered the Sports Foundation to allow its facilities at Rita Flynn Courts and the Taurama Centre to be used by the National Capital District health authority.
SJA chief executive officer Matt Cannon said the drive-through was supposed to be opened yesterday but they were denied access to the facility.
Prime Minister James Marape and NCD Governor Powes Parkop ordered the opening of Taurama Centre yesterday.
“Testing is free for people with symptoms of the Covid-19 or a close contact of someone who tested positive for the Covid-19,” Cannon said.
“The drive-thru is only open to people in a vehicle from 9.30am to 1.30pm Monday to Friday.
“The free tests are done through the National Capital District health authority’s GeneXpert (at Rita Flynn).
“This is a small step in making testing easier for people in Port Moresby. At this stage there are plans (for a) walk-in testing centre in the next fortnight.”
It will take one to five days for the test results to be known.
He said private fast-tracked testing results could be returned in 36 hours.
“If you want private fast-tracked testing for travel or work, fees apply and that can be paid by Eftpos, bank transfer or cheque on arrival,” he said.
Other places for free swabbing and testing are the Gerehu Hospital, Rita Flynn and clinics at Badili, 9-Mile, 6-Mile, Gordon, Tokarara, Lawes Road and Pari.