Canberrans travelling domestically have flooded testing sites causing queues of more than four hours, prompting ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith to plea for people to come forward in off-peak times.
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More than 2000 people had been tested at ACT government clinics by noon on Thursday, following a surge of more than 4500 tests on Wednesday.
Testing sites were forced to close on Wednesday evening as they could not keep up with the demand.
But the ACT government will still proceed with the closure of its largest testing site at Exhibition Park on Friday. It will be replaced with a smaller site at Tooth Street in Mitchell on Saturday.
Ms Stephen-Smith said to cope with the demand when EPIC closes there will be a pop-up clinic at Dickson College on Saturday. She said this could also open on Sunday if needed.
She said testing demand was greatest first thing in the morning and in the afternoon after 4pm. While wait times reached more than four hours on Thursday morning by 2pm it was about 30 minutes.
About half of all people coming forward are people who require tests for travel purposes, Ms Stephen-Smith said. Most states require a negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours prior to arriving.
"At EPIC, they're seeing carloads of people coming forward and getting tested," she said.
"That's quite different to what we normally see when people are getting tested because they're symptomatic or they're a close contact where we see usually one or maybe two people in a vehicle.
"That does mean we have a whole carload of people who all need to get tested and that takes longer per vehicle."
ACT Health have urged people to visit testing clinics that have shorter wait times, such as Holt, Kambah and Nicholls.
On Wednesday afternoon ACT Health asked Canberrans to wait for a COVID-19 test, with sites across the territory at capacity.
The EPIC testing clinic will close on Friday, December 17 at 10pm. It will be replaced by a new drive-through site in Mitchell, which will open on Saturday, December 18.
MORE COVID-19 NEWS:
COVID-19 testing sites
Drive Through COVID-19 Testing at Kambah
- Open 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday
- For people aged five years and over
Drive Through COVID-19 Testing at EPIC (Exhibition Park in Canberra)
- Open 8am to 10pm, Monday to Friday
- For people aged five years and over
Testing Clinic at Nicholls
- Open 8am to 3.50pm, Monday to Friday
- For all ages
- Will be closed from 25 December 2021 to 3 January 2022.
Surge Centre at Garran
- Open 7.30am to 9pm, Monday to Friday
- For any ages
Winnunga Nimmityjah Respiratory Clinic
- Culturally appropriate assessment and testing centre for First Nations people and existing clients of Winnunga
- Open 9.30am to 1pm, Monday to Friday
- And 2pm to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday
- For all ages
Capital Pathology Holt
- Open 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday
- Closed on public holidays
Respiratory Clinic at YourGP@Crace
- Open 1pm to 5pm, Monday to Friday
- And 10am to 2pm, Saturday and Sunday
- Requires an appointment
Lakeview Respiratory Clinic
- Open 9am to 12pm, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday
- And 1.30pm to 4.30pm, Thursday
- And 8.30am to 5pm, Saturday
- And 10am to 3pm, Sunday
- Closed on Public Holidays
- Requires an appointment
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Lucy Bladen
Lucy Bladen has been a journalist at The Canberra Times since 2019. She is an ACT politics and health reporter. Email: l.bladen@canberratimes.com.au
Lucy Bladen has been a journalist at The Canberra Times since 2019. She is an ACT politics and health reporter. Email: l.bladen@canberratimes.com.au
Hannah Neale
Hannah is a reporter with The Canberra Times. She is currently covering ACT courts. Hannah started as a journalist with The Southern Highland News and The Goulburn Post before moving to the ACT.
Hannah is a reporter with The Canberra Times. She is currently covering ACT courts. Hannah started as a journalist with The Southern Highland News and The Goulburn Post before moving to the ACT.
