It's safety first for the V&A Waterfront

The V&A Waterfront now offers visitors of all ages the convenience of a drive-through COVID-19 testing facility without even having to leave their cars.

The Waterfront, in partnership with Dis-Chem, is set to launch the new public facility on Saturday, 24 October.

For ease of use, the facility will operate between 9am and 4pm from Monday to Friday, and between 9am and 2pm on Saturday. Extended hours and Sunday’s are planned for December. It is located at Battery Park in the V&A’s Canal District, with entrances via Alfred Street or Dock Road.

It will be open to any adult or child of any nationality, with the requirement that one must produce an identity document or passport. All patrons should wear a mask at the site.

Dis-Chem trained Nursing Practitioners will undertake the Nasopharyngeal swab tests. The lab results will be linked in to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) database.

Explaining the V&A Waterfront’s involvement, CEO David Green said, “Our drive-through COVID-19 testing facility represents another weapon in our arsenal against COVID-19. In the fight against the pandemic we need to make it easier for people to be tested.

“It’s vital for us, and for our city’s economy, that our retail, hospitality and leisure services can resume safely. 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.”

“We remain resolutely committed to creating a safe space for our visitors and staff by constantly ensuring that our health measures are in line with the latest global scientific evidence. By doing this, the V&A became the first South African leisure destination to receive the World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) safe travels stamp of approval. We are proud of this achievement as the stamp is awarded only once all globally recognised health and hygiene protocols have been implemented.”

People wishing to use the service will need to prebook on the Dischem website. 

Results will be out the day after the test has been conducted. These will be communicated by email and SMS.  The customer should print the physical certificate at home/at their hotel for travelling purposes. All results are automatically communicated to the NICD.

Each swab test costs R850 and payment should be made by credit/debit card. At this stage, the test is not covered by medical aid providers as their rules all differ currently. Anyone visiting the V&A specifically to do the test will not be required to pay for parking.

To prevent backlogs, visitors are requested to pre-register online via Dis-Chem, however walk-ins will be permitted to register on site. The system is fully compliant with the POPI Act.

Dis-Chem currently runs 7 drive-through testing stations nationally.

Don’t forget to pre-register on the Dischem website.