Visitors to the V&A Waterfront precinct in Cape Town, South Africa, can now get tested for COVID-19 without stepping out of their vehicles.

The Waterfront, a prime tourist destination on the continent, has partnered with local retail pharmacy group Dis-Chem to offer visitors drive-through COVID-19 testing facilities in the V&A’s Canal District. The nasopharyngeal swabs are conducted by Dis-Chem-trained nursing practitioners in the Battery Park parking garage for ZAR850. The swabs then undergo PCR [Polymerase chain reaction] testing.

‘In the fight against the pandemic we need to make it easier for people to be tested,’ says V&A Waterfront CEO David Green. ‘Since the beginning of the lockdown we’ve scaled up our use of technology and other examples of this include our click and collect drive-through shopping solutions, and our contactless parking payment.’

Those visiting the Waterfront specifically for the test will not be required to pay for parking in the Battery Park parking garage. Testing is open to any adult or child of any nationality, provided that an identity document or passport is presented upon entering the facility.

Results are available via SMS or email from one to five days after testing, and results are linked to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases’ (NICD) database.

The facility operates from Monday to Saturdays, while extended hours and Sunday operations are planned for December. Visitors are required to pre-register online via Dis-Chem’s website to prevent backlogs, but walk-ins are permitted to register on-site.

3 November 2020
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