A couple of drive-in and as many walk-in coronavirus testing centres will be opened in New Town, an official of the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) said.

“The New Town authorities have offered space to set up a drive-in kiosk in front of Utility Building in Action Area II and another near the Akankha crossing. Both will be run by Apollo Day Care,” an official said.

Apollo Day Care runs New Town’s lone drive-in Covid testing centre near the New Town fairground, opposite Marriott Fairfield hotel.

“Those who want to get themselves tested can drive to any of the kiosks in their vehicles.

People can get themselves tested even if they do not have any doctor’s prescription,” an NKDA official said.

The existing kiosk near the New Town fairground is modelled on those set up in South Korea. It has a glass shield that separates the person collecting samples, who is inside the kiosk, from the person whose samples are being collected.

Despite the glass shield, the person who collects samples wears full personal protective equipment (PPE).

Once the test is complete, the report is mailed to the person.

Apart from the drive-in kiosks, two walk-in sample collection centres will start functioning on the permanent stage of the New Town fairground, an NKDA official said.

Those who want to get tested for Covid can walk into the centres for sample collection without any doctor’s prescription.

One of the walk-in centres will be run by SP Diagnostic and the other by Suraksha Diagnostic. Both are private facilities.

Appointments can be booked over the phone to avoid rush. The contact number for SP Diagnostic is 6292212643 and for Suraksha is 7595055017.

All kiosks will collect samples from 10am to 4pm, the official said.

A drive-in Covid-19 testing centre in New Town Snehal Sengupta

Safe house

A 20-bed safe house for Covid-19 patients has been readied in New Town.

The unit, adjacent to tank 12 and near City Centre in Action Area I, has come up in a building owned by the Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (Hidco).

Logistical support for the facility will be provided by the New Town Kolkata Development Authority and Hidco. The health department will provide doctors, nurses and medical equipment.

Officials said the safe home would have doctors as well as nurses to monitor the patients.

“The safe house is meant for people who cannot isolate themselves at home because of space constraints,” the official said.