Eagleby doctor speaks out about COVID risks after clinic shuts near where infected man shopped
A free COVID testing clinic has been forced to close and relocate due to ongoing abuse of staff, leaving a community of 18,000 with no testing centre even though a carrier of the virus visited a nearby venue just five days earlier.
Logan
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Tensions are flaring and a southside doctor has spoken out about the closure of a free testing clinic near where a COVID carrier went shopping.
COVID CLINIC EVICTED AFTER COMPLAINTS
COVID CLINIC TESTING AT EAGLEBY
Eagleby Dr Thomas Lyons said he was concerned about the spread of coronavirus in the small southside community after the free pop-up clinic closed on Tuesday, five days after a Pimpama man with COVID visited the local tobacconist.
The clinic, owned by Medlab Pathology general manager Mannu Kala, was forced to close and move to Pimpama after staff were harassed.
It was the second time the pop-up clinic had closed in Eagleby after staff at the drive-through clinic were abused.
Police were not called but some of the abuse was recorded on Facebook.
Panicked residents were able to get COVID tests done for free with a referral at the pop-up clinic at the Eagleby Aquatic Centre, which opened on September 1 but closed two days later.
Dr Thomas said Eagleby was ideal for the testing centre after a man, believed to be in his forties who was training at the Wacol Detention Centre, visited the TSG Tobacconist and convenience store on Fryar Rd, on August 27 between 4.50pm and 5pm.
However, he said he was concerned about the risks of a spread throughout the 18,000-strong community now there was no free testing available.
“It’s hard to believe that people were abusing staff for political reasons and Eagleby residents won’t be able to get tested in such a convenient place anymore,” Dr Lyons said.
“We have definitely noticed an increase in people asking to be tested after the person visited the local tobacconist.
“We are not sure why the man who lived at Pimpama stopped in at that particular store but it has put people in the area on edge.
“Without such free testing clinics the people in this community are at risk.”
Dr Lyons said the nearest testing clinic was now in Beenleigh at Sullivan Nicolaides.
He asked Queensland Health to support a private testing facility in Eagleby.
“It would be in their interest as it would cut costs as when GPs order tests, it costs the federal government but when people use state testing clinics it is billed to the state.”