Coronavirus: Gold Coast doctors want testing ramped up to stop community spread of COVID-19
Gold Coast doctors worried about community transmissions say more people need to be tested for COVID-19.
Gold Coast
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GOLD Coast doctors say an increase in community coronavirus testing is needed as concerns about local transmissions increase.
Under the current regimen, only certain members of the community can be tested if they present with coronavirus symptoms.
However, Gold Coast Medical Association boss Philip Morris said it wasn’t enough.
“We still have too few coronavirus tests being done on the Gold Coast,” he said.
“The Gold Coast is a hot spot in Queensland of community transmission of the virus (person to person spread).”
He said anyone could now be infected, not just people returning from overseas or off cruise ships.
Under new guidelines introduced last week a person is only eligible for testing if they have a fever (or history of fever) or acute respiratory symptoms, and, in the past 14 days were in close contact of a confirmed case or been overseas, including on a cruise.
Testing is also possible for people who have symptoms and work in vulnerable settings, live in an area where an outbreak has occurred or live in an indigenous community.
As of yesterday, more than 50,000 Queenslanders had been tested for the virus.
There are 148 cases confirmed on the Gold Coast and 781 cases statewide. One new case was recorded on the Coast yesterday. Dr Morris said he would also like government-approved quarantine for positive cases, not just home isolation, similar to new measures introduced for those returning to the country.
“Ideally, all the citizens should be tested and those positive for the virus should be isolated in government-approved and secure facilities like hospitals for sick individuals, hostels or hotels for asymptomatic or mildly ill cases.
“In addition to the testing done by some GP practices and the fever clinics at Gold Coast University and Robina hospitals, we would like to see drive-through testing stations to make testing more available.
“It is such a pity that the testing kits are in short supply and that rationing to a restricted set of eligible individuals has had to be introduced.”
Gold Coast General Practitioners head Katrina McLean was hopeful testing guidelines would be broadened.
Dr McLean said the while the latest coronavirus figures were reassuring, testing needed to be expanded to get an accurate reading of the spread.
“The figures may not be totally reflective of what is occurring because of the bias of the testing. We just don’t have enough information.”
Health Minister Stephen Miles this week said the state had among the greatest testing rates per capita than anywhere in the world, with a majority of cases acquired from overseas.
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