Four private pathology providers processing COVID-19 PCR tests have temporarily suspended testing and will remain closed for at least the rest of the week.

4Cyte, Australian Clinical Labs, Dorevitch and Melbourne Pathology have closed 54 sites to catch up on a backlog of results.

COVID-19 commander Jeroen Weimar says the sites “will be suspended for the coming days”.

“They will continue to work 24/7 to process the backlog of tests that they’ve built up,” he said.

“Then when they’re ready to they will reopen their systems.”

Larger testing centres delivered by the Department of Health remain open.