Covid test: Where to go to avoid the massive queues

The number of testing sites at capacity in Victoria has fallen dramatically. Here’s a list of the lines with the shortest wait times and those to avoid.

Covid case numbers are continuing to drive Victorians in large numbers to testing sites across the state.

Just an hour after opening on Monday morning, 10 sites across Melbourne had reached capacity with people being asked to look elsewhere.

With more people conducting rapid antigen tests in their own home, it appears testing queues are beginning to stablise compared to last week.

By 9am on Wednesday last week, 44 were closed across the metropolitan region — a number which dropped to 18 on Friday.

In some parts of the state, there was no wait times with some residents forced to wait Two-and-a-half hours for a PCR test.

A Crowd-sourcing information website has also been developed, “Find a RAT”, to allow people to access data on which chemists and supermarkets have stock available.

But across Victoria’s more than 200 testing locations, there are sites where you won’t get stuck waiting.

Central Melbourne

Melbourne University Testing Clinic — Open, wait time unavailable

The Royal Children’s Hospital — Open, 120 minute wait

St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne — Open, 150 minute wait

4Cyte Pathology Melbourne CBD — Open, wait time unavailable

Bourke St Walk in — Open, 90 minute wait

Melbourne Town Hall — Open, wait time unavailable

CoHealth Collingwood — Open, wait time unavailable

Munro St Testing Hub — Open, 15 minute wait

Montague St South Melbourne — Open, 30 minute wait

Alfred Health, The Alfred Hospital — Open, 60 minute wait

Melbourne North

Moonee Valley Racecourse — Open, 15 minute wait

Keilor Basketball Netball Stadium — Open, 90 minute wait

Mickleham Rd Tullamarine — Open, 60 minute wait

Coolaroo Testing Hub — Open, 30 minute wait

Coolaroo Respiratory Clinic — Open, wait time unavailable

Dallas Shopping Centre Car park — Open, 30 minute wait

Hume City Council — Open, 90 minute wait

Glenroy Hall walk in — Open, no wait time

Melbourne Pathology Niddire — Open, wait time unavailable

Darebin Arts Centre — Open, 120 minute wait

La Trobe University Bundoora Campus — Open, 60 minute wait

Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital — Closed, at capacity

Banyule Community Health, RMIT campus — Open, 120 minute wait

Melbourne West

ACE Car Park Williams Landing — Open, wait time unavailable

ACL St Albans Walk Through — Open, wait time unavailable

Altona North Respiratory Clinic — Open, wait time unavailable

Cohealth West Fooscray — Open, wait time unavailable

Hampstead Rd hub — Closed, at capacity

IPC Werribee East — Open, 60 minute wait

IPC Health Wyndham Vale — At capacity

IPC Health Deer Park — Open, 120 minute wait

Melbourne Pathology Wooten Rd Reserve — Open, wait time unavailable

Melbourne Showgrounds — Open, 15 minute wait

Melton Football Netball Club — Open, 60 minute wait

Sunshine Respiratory Clinic — Open, wait time unavailable

Victoria University St Albans Campus — Open, 90 minute waitWestern Health Melton — Open, 150 minute wait

Melbourne East

Wyuna Walk Mooroolbark — At capacity

EACH Lilydale — Open, wait time unavailable

Wantirna Health, Wantirna Trash and Treasure Market — Closed, at capacity

Deakin University Burwood — Closed, at capacity

4Cyte Pathology Doncaster — Open, wait time unavailable

Eastern Health Box Hill Hospital — Open, wait time unavailable

Chadstone Golfers Drive — Closed, at capacity

Monash University Clayton — Closed, at capacity

Prahan Respitatory Clinic — Open, wait time unavailable

Brighton Golf Club — Open, 120 minute wait

Melbourne South East

Sandringham Hospital — Open, 30 minute wait

Melbourne Pathology Beaumaris — Open, wait time unavailable

Central Bayside Community Health Services Cheltenham — Closed, at capacity

Springers Leisure Centre — Closed, at capacity

ACL Dandenong — Open, wait time unavailable

Monash Health Dandenong — Open, wait time unavailable

Chelsea Basketball Stadium — Open, wait time unavailable

Cranbourne Testing Hub — Open, 120 minute wait

IYU Recreation Reserve Pakenham — Closed, at capacity

Peninsula Health Rosebud Hospital — Open, 120 minute wait

Rosebud Respitatory Clinic — Open, wait time unavailable

Casey Fields — Closed, at capacity

Frankston Hospital — Open, wait time unavailable

Peninsula Testing Hub — Open, 60 minute wait