East Care Blog

Please find out how our Covid-19 services are changing at East Care.

Unavoidably, we’re all getting used to Covid-19 being out in the community now. East Care has been a hub for the East Auckland community through the many stages of NZ’s Covid response. Undeniably, our team have done a great job supporting everyone through this time. However, as we are all returning to our everyday activities, our clinic is again busy with daily medical needs and urgent care emergencies.

So, some of the Covid services you might have come to see our Urgent Care staff for in recent months may now have been picked up by other partners in our Botany Road health hub.

Where to get a Covid Vaccine at Botany Road (now that East Care are no longer vaccinating)

It’s fair to say, our nurses are a dab hand when it comes to vaccinations! We’ve done more than a few, as you can imagine! However, now we’re handing the tasks to our trusted partners at the onsite Pharmacy. The Superclinic Chemist is conveniently located right next to our reception area. So, it’s still just as easy to pop in if you are due for a booster.

When to come to East Care for a Covid Service (and how to see our team safely)

Thanks to the pharmacy team taking up this vaccination role, our Urgent Care team can focus on Covid testing. In addition, having the Superclinic help out has freed up our team to better deal with our patient flow and manage your care.

Safety measures to manage the spread of Covid in the clinic

• For starters, our nurse is triaging at our entrance. It’s near the Pharmacy.
• Once we’ve asked some  screening questions, we will give you a triage category before you book in at reception
• As a precaution, all patients are required to wear masks in our clinic

Getting help with Covid Symptoms

One thing’s for sure – there are many different responses to how people cope with Covid-19. But if you have tested positive and are experiencing severe symptoms, we are here to help.

– If you are isolating at home with Covid, and need to see us, come down, and we have a phone number on our front door which you can use on arrival to let us know you’re here. Please return to your car and give us a call. Then we can give you further instructions about how our team will safely see you.

Severe Symptoms of Covid when you need to get Urgent Care:

As per the guidelines on the Covid-19 Health Hub, give us a call or follow the instructions to come and see us if you or a family member are:

• Experiencing difficulty breathing.
• Feeling faint, passing out or struggling to wake up.
• Blue around the lips or very pale and cold.
• Feeling severe chest pain.

Tyes of Covid Testing available at East Care

For those who are heading abroad, we are still offering pre-departure testing for all countries requiring test evidence to board. Please make sure you know what is necessary as every country is different.

Importantly, please note that our testing drive-thru has now closed. However, our urgent care clinic offers the same testing services.

All of our staff are fully vaccinated and take care to adhere to the best hygiene standards.

Stay well, and know our East Care team are here to help.