COVID-19 testing lines are significantly shorter than recent days, after the start of lockdown

Wait times are significantly shorter at covid testing sites across the state today, as Victoria Park resembled a ghost town in the late morning.

After days of long lines, COVID-19 testing sites have seen slight relief on the first day of lockdown, with Victoria Park resembling a ghost town at lunch time.

There were no queues around 12.30pm, with a traffic controller at the site saying people are coming in “dribs and drabs”.

“We has a rush when we opened but it’s called right down now,” he said.

The Victoria Park Pakapakanthi COVID-19 drive-through testing site on day 1 of the six-day COVID-19 Lockdown. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Kelly Barnes

It comes after thousands of people flocked to the sites in recent days, waiting up to 11 hours for a test and people being turned away.

The clinic opened at 8.30am and will stay open until midnight.

The Parafield Airport testing site had around 100 people waiting for a test before 11am, but people nearing the front had only waited less than an hour.

Sussan Penny, from Salisbury, was waiting patiently in the line this morning for a test.

She had waited about an hour from 10am and was nearing the front of the line.

“I’ve been sick all week, I was at the Hollywood Plaza on Friday,” Ms Penny said.

She has tried to get tested since Monday but lines were too long so she has remained isolated, and had to take a week off work at a Hope Valley supermarket, where she is a casual employee.

“I’m a casual so I don’t get paid for the week. But we have to do what we have to do.

“I would never want to put my customers or staff at risk,” she said.

Health workers at the Victoria Park Pakapakanthi COVID-19 drive-through testing site. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Kelly Barnes

Gulsal Sings is a truck driver from New South Wales and was required to get a test before returning and crossing the border, who was waiting at Parafield Airport on Thursday morning, too. He had waited 45 minutes and expected to wait another hour.

Lines were significantly shorter at Port Adelaide’s Mundy St drive in testing station in the late morning on Thursday, with wait times a maximum of two hours.

Joel Castro took his three-year-old daughter Daniella to be tested as she had a sore throat.

Mr Castro, from Seaton, said they had waited about an hour and a half.

“It’s going quite quickly, and it’s better than being in a long line,” Mr Castro said.

Keith Roder was also in the line, having waited about an hour.

Mr Roder has relocated to SA from Victoria and arrived last night.

People queue at the COVID-19 testing station at Parafield on November 19. Picture: Tait Schmaal.

“I couldn’t believe the irony, you get here and look what’s happened,” Mr Roder said.

The field engineer’s work will put him up until he finds a home, and his family joins him from Victoria.

The Repat drive in testing saw similar sites, with around five cars in the queue on Daws Road – compared to a two kilometre line two days ago.

Chief public health officer Nicole Spurrier said 12,000 people had been tested for COVID-19 on Wednesday, which is the most tests in a single day for the state so far.