FOR Dan Power, taking a test to confirm he was free of coronavirus was about peace of mind and accelerating the end of pandemic measures.
The managing director of Sandgate-based Traffic Power pulled in to McDonald Jones Stadium's bumper coronavirus testing clinic on Friday, placing him among the first to use its drive-through checks.
While he was initially on site to help ensure drivers were flowing in and out of the Turton Road testing stations his company had helped to ensure were safe, Mr Power said on Friday decided to get tested in the hopes it could act as a small step to help life get back to normal sooner.
"Half an hour [from the phone booking] and it was done and dusted," he said.
"The swab itself was not particularly pleasant but it wasn't painful. The nurse jokingly said they haven't had anyone go through twice.
Mr Power said he had not exhibited any symptoms and held minimal concerns that he would receive a positive result.
"My staff might feel a bit better about working around me now," he joked.
Instead, he was hoping that being officially cleared could give health authorities the data they needed to ascertain their measures were working.
"I want business to go back to normal," Mr Power said.
"If me going through and getting a test done can make that happen faster, then I'm all for it.
"The point of this is more information, and more information leads to better decisions.
"No way [would I have sought testing elsewhere].I wouldn't have wanted to wait at the John Hunter or somewhere like that."
Health authorities have said they are hopeful the six-lane Broadmeadow hub can test between 600 and 900 people a day as they step up their search for cases around the region. Anyone seeking testing is urged to make an appointment beforehand by calling 4964 7497.
Data from NSW Health released on Friday showed the region's coronavirus cases remained steady up to 8pm on Thursday evening.
The Hunter New England health district has so far recorded 276 cases, with 229 of those patients officially recovered.
The region's last new case was recorded just before Anzac Day.
Authorities have conducted more than 32,000 tests in the area, with 0.9 per cent of those testing positive.
"Our goal is to test as many people as possible so we can accurately assess the risk of COVID-19 in the region," Hunter New England public health physician, Dr David Durrheim, said on Thursday.
"We don't expect to find a lot of cases - in fact we hope to find very few - but testing is the only way to make sure."
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