ACT's long COVID test times make for a nervous Christmas

A person who has COVID symptoms or has just found out they are a close or casual contact faces a potentially long and nervous wait.

First they need to join one of the long queues at one of Canberra's testing sites and wait hours for their test. Then they need to isolate until they receive their result, or longer if they are a close contact.

That result could take six hours or it could take 48 hours to come back, but regardless they will have to anxiously wait as they hope for a result to come before Christmas Day.

Similar stories are happening all across the country.

Negative test requirements have created the perfect storm amid a surge in cases, as more people move around and interstate.

Only two months ago ACT chief health officer Kerryn Coleman said she expected the territory's daily numbers to be in the hundreds once the lockdown was lifted.

A combination of high vaccination rates and good luck has meant that hasn't yet happened - the 85 cases reported on Thursday is the record.

But if high case numbers were expected, then surely testing sites needed to be prepared for the Christmas surge.

The closure of Canberra's largest testing site at Exhibition Park in the weeks leading up to Christmas was unfortunately timed, especially as its replacement in Mitchell is smaller.

Health authorities did face a difficult situation as EPIC needed to be cleared to make way for large events, including Summernats, but surely it was obvious testing demand was going to surge in the week leading up to Christmas.

But since it appears it was absolutely essential for EPIC to close, then authorities needed to ensure the same capacity was available over Christmas, extra surge sites could have been opened.

However, Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said health staff shortages meant ramping up testing capacity proved difficult.

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It should be acknowledged many health workers have taken a rightly deserved break over Christmas. Nobody can criticise our hardworking frontline workers for taking time to recover and spend with their loved ones.

One of the main reasons for the surge in demand for tests is entirely out of the ACT's control. About 50 per cent of tests this week are interstate travellers.

That is an incredible drain on resources. It also means close contacts and symptomatic people - the most crucial results - are waiting days to receive their results. But states have been clear about these pre-travel test requirements for some time - the demand isn't unexpected.

Overall, it's a very terrible situation for people who have suffered through lockdown this year and were seeking a bright light at the end of the year, but are instead facing a Christmas staring at their phone hoping for a negative test result.

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