Coronavirus Western Sydney: Riverstone COVID-19 test centre opens as Hills cases rise
Staff at western Sydney’s first drive-through COVID-19 testing centre are already inundated with inquiries as cases continue to spike in the region.
Hills Shire
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Western Sydney’s first drive through COVID-19 clinic is being inundated after opening on Monday morning.
Western Sydney’s first drive through COVID-19 clinic is being inundated after opening on Monday morning.
The privately run Riverstone COVID-19 Respiratory Clinic, located at the swim-centre car park on Market St, is the first of its kind in the area.
Dr Sharon Muir, from the Riverstone Family Medical Practice-run testing centre, said they had already been very busy with numerous inquiries from the public.
The clinic is not a typical drive-through service but instead offers a full respiratory assessment.
“People who inquire about the clinic are called back by a clinician and a further history is taken to assess symptoms and risk factors to better understand what that person needs,” Dr Muir said.
“It is partly funded by the Commonwealth government under a grant to be able to assess the presence of coronavirus in people who have relatively mild symptoms and provide information that will assist decision-making around easing social restrictions.
“Looking for community spread in order to detect and isolate and therefore have confidence in making changes in the current rules.”
It comes as COVID-19 cases grow in the area with The Hills LGA recording 59 cases as of 8pm on April 18.
This is an increase of two since before Easter.
It places The Hills as the 16th worst LGA in the state.
The area now has six cases that have been acquired from an unknown source.
The state government has come under scrutiny for a lack of COVID-19 testing clinics in The Hills, with one doctor suggesting the number of local cases could be even higher.
Dr Annemarie Christie, who was the Labor candidate for Riverstone at the March 2019 state election, works at The Children’s Doctor Paediatric Centre at Castle Hill.
She said: "The numbers could be higher but we are not sure because we don't have easy access to testing facilities in this area.
“It is difficult to access a lab for testing if you live in The Hills District/ North Kellyville/ Rouse Hill areas.”
Clinics are usually attached to public hospitals and there is no public hospital in The Hills.
“This is a deterrent to people seeking testing and may cause the number of cases to be reported to be falsely low,” she added.
But Baulkham Hills MP David Elliott said testing was already available.
“COVID-19 screening and testing is available at public hospitals and private clinics across the Western Sydney Local Health District,” he said.
Dr Muir said the new drive through clinic was being used by people from across the region.
“The clinic serves lots of patients from The Hills as well as Hawkesbury and across to Penrith,” Dr Muir added.
“We are convinced that it is impossible to know the extent of the virus and therefore make plans to contain and control its spread unless we test more extensively,” Dr Muir said.
Inquiries for the Riverstone COVID-19 Respirator Clinic should be directed through their website at rfmp.com.au
Coronavirus cases by suburb in The Hills
2155 (Kellyville, Rouse Hills, Beaumont Hills, North Kellyville, Kellyville Ridge) – 23 cases
2125 (West Pennant Hills) – 13 cases
2153 (Baulkham Hills, Bella Vista, Winston Hills) – 15 cases
2158 (Dural, Middle Dural) – 3 cases
2156 (Glenhaven, Kenthurst, Annangrove) – 3 cases
2154 (Castle Hill) – 2 cases