Push to open 24 hour COVID-19 testing clinics as wait times blow out

The state government is being urged to open 24 hour COVID-19 testing clinics and boost staff numbers to cut hours-long delays at key testing sites across the state.

Wait times at COVID-19 testing clinics have blown out in recent weeks, with some people waiting five hours to get tested, and many clinics closing due to overwhelming demand.

Associate Professor Paul Griffin from the University of Queensland’s School of Medicine says without a resource boost, Victoria’s ability to battle the virus is compromised.

“What we really don’t want is people that are potentially infectious … miss out on getting their test or wait hours and hours in the line and potentially infect others in that line as well,” he told 3AW Breakfast.

“I think the more readily we can make our testing accessible, the better of we are going to be.”

Professor Griffin says rapid antigen testing can be used to take some of the pressure off overworked laboratories, but those tests shouldn’t replace PCR testing in all cases.

“There’s no question those rapid antigen tests don’t perform the same as the PCR … so they shouldn’t be used to confirm someone is positive.

“But as a screening test, particularly for things like going back to work or school, or before you travel, then absolutely those rapid antigen tests should be used.

“Really you should do two or three rapid antigen tests consecutively to get similar performance to the PCR. But if we make sure people understand that and we use them properly then absolutely that will reduce the burden on our laboratories.”

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