Coronavirus NSW: More testing urged at Wentworthville, western Sydney clinics

Pictures show a trickle of people attending a pop-up testing centre in Wentworthville despite the Premier’s pleas for residents to come out and get tested in the middle of an “outbreak”

A walk-in clinic is open behind Wentworthville Community Centre.

A COVID-19 testing clinic in hotspot Wentworthville validates health authorities’ concerns over an inadequate number of people getting tested for the deadly virus.

NSW Health communicable diseases director Mark McNulty and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Tuesday pleaded with the community to get tested after only 14,700 tests were undertaken in the 24 hours to 8pm on Monday — falling severely short of the 25,000 target for daily tests in NSW.

“We particularly need to see testing in places such as the Northern Beaches, such as western Sydney where we’ve seen cases recently but it applies through Sydney, through NSW,’’ Dr McNulty said.

Ms Berejiklian urged the public not to assume the NSW outbreak was over.

“We know it takes some time to completely get to the target of zero community transmission after there has been an outbreak but it’s so critical that we raise those testing levels — 14,700 isn’t really enough from where we’re up to in the pandemic,’’ she said.

“The rumblings are there, we’re still mopping up.’’

The testing rates rose to 20,664 by 8pm on Tuesday but dipped to 20,437 at 8pm on Wednesday.

NSW Health opened a clinic in the Wentworthville Community Centre carpark on Friday after the suburb was put on high alert following several positive cases visiting local businesses.

At 11.45am on Wednesday, there was just a handful of people getting tested at the walk-in-only clinic.

It’s not exactly rush hour at a COVID-19 coronavirus clinic at Wentworthville.

Parramatta man Ravindra Rajendran headed to the Veron St clinic for testing with his son and parents, who are returning to India on Thursday and required to produce a hard copy of their results.

Wentworthville 62-year-old Tony Saba was one of the few people at the clinic getting tested just before noon.

Ravindra Rajendran of Parramatta outside the coronavirus testing clinic outside Wentworthville Community Centre.

“I’d imagine there would be a lot of people at work today trying to earn a living so you can’t judge it on a snapshot like now when so many people are coming after work,’’ he said.

Despite not experiencing symptoms, Mr Saba chose to get tested for the first time after the outbreak was declared at Wentworthville.

“Now Wenty is a hotspot, I thought I’d get tested,’’ he said.

The clinic is at Veron St.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the lack of testing numbers on Monday “was not our finest moment’’.

“I understand, particularly in our multicultural community, that some members have come from countries where information doesn’t remain private when you go to see your health official,’’ he said.

“Here in Australia, 100 per cent when you go and see your doctor it’s confidential.’’

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