Brett Sutton tells Victorians to get tested in afternoon to dodge testing lines

Victoria’s chief health officer has revealed one way to slash Covid testing wait times as the state continues to contend with huge queues.

Victorians who need a negative Covid test in order to travel interstate have been urged to get tested in the afternoon in order to shorten lengthy wait times.

Chief health officer Brett Sutton made the plea, asking travellers to avoid the “busier morning period” and take pressure of the embattled system.

“We kindly ask people who are getting a PCR test for travel purposes to get tested after 12pm daily,” he said.

Long testing lines have plagued Australians across the Christmas period.

“This will help reduce testing demand for symptomatic people and contacts during the busier morning period.”

Prof Sutton also noted his disagreement with some states’ need for travellers to continually present negative PCR tests throughout their trips.

“PCR testing for interstate travel is not the most efficient use of testing resources,” he said.

Victorian CHO Brett Sutton has asked travellers to get tested in the afternoon. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

However, Queensland scrapped their day five testing requirement on Tuesday, in a bid to ease pressure on its own testing system.

The Christmas period has seen Victorians forced to wait hours in line in order to be swabbed with thousands isolating up to four days before receiving a result.

Most recently, the state recorded 2738 new cases and four Covid deaths on Tuesday.

Testing queues in NSW continue to cause people major headaches with people being turned away on Wednesday morning.

With the system being overwhelmed, NSW deputy Liberal leader Stuart Ayres urged people not requiring a test to avoid joining the queues.

“The most important thing is that people only turn up to get tested if they are symptomatic,” he told Sunrise.

“We know this is a change from what people have been hearing in the past but this new variant is different and the rules are changing for everyone.”