News and notices Pānui

0800 number available for those waiting over five days for COVID-19 swab results

30 November 2021

Have you been waiting longer than five days for your COVID-19 swab results? If so a BOPDHB Swab Results line, 0800 225 449, has been set up for you to get updated.

BOPDHB COVID-19 Incident Controller Trevor Richardson said current turnaround times suggested most people would not need to use the number, but it was there for those who did.

“The system is currently coping well with the large volume of COVID-19 swab tests which are being undertaken locally,” said Trevor. “Our colleagues at Pathlab are doing a wonderful job in this space, processing thousands of tests in a very short space of time. We’re truly thankful to all their staff for the hard work which they are putting in on an ongoing basis for our Bay of Plenty residents.

“That said we do recognise there can be frustration for any people who, for whatever reason, do not receive their results in as timely a fashion as they were anticipating. That’s why, for anyone who has been waiting longer than five days, we’ve set up a BOPDHB Swab Results line 0800 225 449.

“If you haven’t had a test result after five days call this number. If it is less than five days, and you have not been contacted, it is likely that your test result is not back yet and we would ask you to continue to wait please.”

The service’s opening hours will change with the level of testing demand; initially though it will be manned between the hours of 9am-4.30pm Monday to Sunday.