COVID-19 test centres under pressure as demand soars
Overwhelmed phone lines and traffic jams have been reported as Queenslanders try to get tested for coronavirus.
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Traffic was queued up for hundreds of metres outside a pathology centre in Taringa in Brisbane’s inner-west earlier today and phone lines at some clinics were overwhelmed as people tried to get tested for COVID-19.
Four traffic police were reported to have been called in to help free up the congestion, which at one point earlier in the day extended from the Sullivan & Nicolaides pathology clinic back to Brisbane Boys’ College.
It comes as free Brisbane COVID-19 clinics say they have been inundated since news broke yesterday of three new coronavirus cases.
The Federal Government subsidises testing clinics in southeast Queensland at a range of locations including: Cornubia in Logan; Kenmore in Brisbane’s inner west; Nundah on the northside; Prince Charles, Redcliffe and Royal Brisbane hospitals; Morayfield and Strathpine in Moreton.
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Kenmore Clinics’ Dani Bourke said they had been inundated with calls since yesterday, were fully booked today and already taking bookings for tomorrow.
“Under the rules we can only test people showing symptoms,’’ Mrs Bourke said.
“We’ve been taking calls from lots of people wanting advice and have called in an extra doctor today given the need.
“We have four isolation rooms, but there needs to be space between bookings so we can clean them down. We still have capacity to take more at the moment.
“We might even consider opening on weekends as an option but expect things will change day by day.’’
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Associate Professor Evan Jones, the medical director of both the Morayfield and Shailer Park respiratory clinics, said they were tripling testing capacity from today after a massive jump in requests yesterday.
Dr Jones said they had made arrangements with pathology giant QML to process swabs and were also conducting telemedicine appointments at the Shailer Park Medical Centre, adjacent to the respiratory clinic, for asymptomatic patients.
“We’ve ramped up capacity as there has been huge demand in the community for testing,’’ Dr Jones said.
“We’re very appreciative of the public response. We need to be doing much more testing of the community to detect where the virus may or may not be.
“Today we will see 200 patients at Shailer Park and more than 200 at Morayfield.’’
Dr Jones said Morayfield was already open from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week, but opening hours at Shailer Park could be expanded, particularly on the weekends.
It currently is open 8am-6pm, weekdays with some weekend bookings.
He said it was important as many people as possible booked online or via the Hotdocs phone app as their phone lines were overwhelmed.
WHAT TO DO BEFORE ARRIVAL
1. You must show symptoms consistent with coronavirus infection such as fever and coughing.
2. Do not turn up without an appointment.
3. Do not remove masks provided on arrival — at any time — until told to do so.
4. Do not bring friends or family, unless you need a support person or are a parent with a child who has suspected COVID-19.
5. Sanitise hands on arrival and departure. You must provide your name and contact details.
6. At some clinics, such as Kenmore, you must wait in your car before entering. You will be called to say when it is OK to enter.
WHERE YOU CAN BE TESTED FOR COVID-19 IN THE WESTSIDE
• FREE. Kenmore Clinics, 6/2081 Moggill Rd, Kenmore. Open M-F 8am-5pm. Call 3363 1699 or book online at: kenmoreclinics.com.au
• Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital, Butterfield St, Herston. M-Su 7am-9pm
• Sullivan Nicolaides The Gap - 1000 Waterworks Road, the Gap: 6.30am-4pm M-F;6.30am-11am Sat*
• Sullivan Nicolaides Taringa, 15 Morrow St, Taringa - 7am-6pm M-F; 7am-12pm Sat; 8am-12pm Sun*
• Sullivan Nicolaides Taringa Car collection site - 15 Morrow St, Taringa: 11am-5pm M-F (Phone on arrival)*
• Sullivan Nicolaides Kenmore - 2081 Moggil Road, Kenmore: 6.30-4pm M-F; 6.30am-12pm Sat*
• QML Drive thru COVID centre Kenmore village - Brookfield Road, Kenmore: 7am-3pm M-F*
*Patients must present with a valid request form
