100,000 COVID tests, Dr Young ‘not surprised’ by false positive

Queensland’s Chief Health Officer says she was “not surprised” that an Ipswich woman who tested positive for COVID on Wednesday, subsequently tested negative. Here’s why.

QUEENSLAND’S Chief Health officer says she was “not surprised” by the latest false positive coronavirus reading due to “the enormous number of tests” being administered across the state.

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Speaking on ABC Radio on Friday morning, Dr Jeannette Young said that almost 100,000 Queenslanders had been tested for coronavirus since the state’s latest COVID scare, which she said increased the risk of a false-positive COVID reading.

COVID-19 testing being carried out at Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology, Bowen Hills, where tens of thousands of tests have been done. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Richard Gosling

“We do get them very occasionally and given that we’ve tested nearly 100,000 Queenslanders since those three women came back from Melbourne, I’m not surprised,” Dr Young told ABC radio.

Dr Young extended her sympathies to the “poor lady” who was announced as the state’s latest coronavirus case on Wednesday before being cleared of having the virus last night.

“She was so good to come forth and get tested … like all those other Queenslanders, the things they’ve put up with, waiting in those queues … and then waiting for results,” Dr Young said.

People lining up to get tested for COVID-19 at Parklands Christian College on Brisbane’s southside. Picture: News Corp/Attila Csaszar

Queenslanders who have been tested for coronavirus could be waiting up to four days before they receive results due to “the enormous number of tests” being done across the state, Dr Young said.

“(Pathology Queensland) did 8549 tests in the latest 24 hours … until this recent incident they were sitting around 3000 or 4000 (tests) a day,” she said.

“The majority are getting done within that two-day time frame, but there are some people waiting up to four days and that’s across public and private.”

Dr Young predicted border congestion “should get a bit better” as Queensland again closes its borders to New South Wales at 1am tonight.

A line of cars waiting to access a testing station set-up at Orion Springfield Central Shopping Centre. Picture: News Corp/Attila Csaszar

“There will be less competition between those people trying to cross the border,” Dr Young told ABC Radio.

Residents from border communities will be allowed to cross the border under new border passes that Dr Young said would be available “later today”.

“People who live in those border communities can cross that border for any reason, they don’t have to justify it, they don’t have to give a reason,” she said.

“They just have to be one of those people with one of those special border passes.”

Brisbane Broncos players will be allowed back into Queensland even after 1am tomorrow as part of a “special arrangement” between the NRL and Queensland Health, Dr Young said.

Originally published as 100,000 COVID tests, Dr Young ‘not surprised’ by false positive