SA authorities announce raft of measures as Covid testing sites around Adelaide overwhelmed again

SA authorities have announced a raft of measures, including publishing live wait times and setting up a high-priority site, after testing clinics were overrun again.

An invitation-only Covid-19 testing site has been established as testing clinics across Adelaide are overrun again

The testing site at Lot 14 on Frome Road is closed to the public but open to those referred by the Communicable Diseases Control Branch (CDCB).

Interstate personnel, nurses and GPs will assist with testing across the state, while SA Health will work on publishing live wait times for clinics across the state.

The government will also look to extend the opening hours for other sites such as Modbury where the line stretched to 2km on Wednesday.

Authorities said some elective surgeries had been cancelled so those staff could help with testing.

SA Pathology plus two private clinics – Clinpath and ACL – are all expanding their services to cope with testing.

ADF troops will be brought in to help with swabbing and general duties, while seven suburban police stations have been closed so officers can be redeployed to assist with lockdown duties.

Glenelg, Henley Beach, Norwood, Netley, Salisbury, Golden Grove and Aldinga stations shut their doors at 12pm on Wednesday.

They will remain closed for the duration of the seven-day statewide lockdown.

The Hindley St and Grenfell St stations in the city, as well as those at Elizabeth, Christies Beach, Port Adelaide, Holden Hill (9am-9pm) and Sturt (9am-9pm) will remain open during the lockdown.

Cars lined up along Fullarton Road heading towards Victoria Park testing clinic on Wednesday morning, July 21. Picture: Dean Martin

Premier Steven Marshall said every effort was being made to ensure Covid testing ran smoothly.

“We don’t want anybody turning away in frustration. There are 86 sites for testing across South Australia,” Mr Marshall said at the Covid press conference on Wednesday.

“My number one focus, Professor Nicola Spurrier’s number one focus, Grant Stevens’ number one focus is making sure we can get on top of the health issues for South Australia so we can open up for business again.”

On Tuesday, there was a 45 per cent increase on the previous record through Victoria Park, which has again experienced wait times of up to eight hours.

Mr Marshall encouraged people to look at other sites, not just the 24-hour Victoria Park clinic, and encouraged people to get vaccinated – “that’s our pathway out.”

Earlier, Chief Public Health Officer Professor Nicola Spurrier said on radio that reducing queues at Covid testing sites was her number one priority for Wednesday.

She said all GP respiratory clinics across the state that formerly only tested people with Covid-19 symptoms would now be undertaking swabs for asymptomatic people.

“I’ve spoken to her (ADF staff) about trying to get some personnel in from other states to help us with the swabbing, they did this with Victoria, it was very effective, and they're going to start mobilising that today,” Prof Spurrier said.

She said nurses trained in swabbing for Covid-19 would be pulled from hospitals today, where possible.

Prof Spurrier asked people lining up in long queues not to leave the testing sites.

“Please don’t give up, I haven't given up,” she said.

Long line-ups at the Victoria Park Covid-19 drive-through testing site on Tuesday morning. Picture: Michael Marschall

On Wednesday morning motorists were reporting wait times of at least eight hours at the Victoria Park testing station.

One man told ABC Radio Adelaide he had joined the line at 10.45pm Tuesday, and was still waiting at 6.30am Wednesday.

Earlier, SA Pathology’s Dr Tom Dodd thanked people for their patience and said additional resources had been moved to each testing clinic.

“It’s inevitable whenever there is a case identified there will be a huge increase in testing … so inevitably there will be a queue in testing,” Dr Dodd said.

“I know there was long queues … and all I can do is thank people for being very patient.”

Australian Medical Association SA president Dr Michelle Atchison said the unreasonable waits were a significant disincentive.

“The government really needs to step up and open more 24-hour testing centres,” she said, nominating the northern and southern suburbs as priorities.

“Long waits add to people’s stress and anxiety and it will mean people will just drive on.” Senior government sources said concerns were raised between police and SA Health over the lack of toilets at testing clinics.

On Monday night, people were queuing for up to 10 hours into Tuesday, sleeping in cars and reporting lacking toilet facilities.

Use the map or table below to find your nearest Covid testing station

Another man jested it would be quicker to drive to a regional testing clinic.

“At this rate you’re better off driving to Yamba and getting tested at the border and driving back,” he said.

Dr Dodd said authorities were learning from the experience, and would consider adding more toilets to the site after complaints there was a lack of facilities.

“Clearly we learn out of each of these circumstances … it’s almost impossible to meet the demand capacity with one large 24 hour a day site but we will obviously take learnings away from the experience,” he said.

Long line-ups at The Victoria Park Covid-19 drive-through testing site on Tuesday morning. Picture: Michael Marschall

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There have been similar reports of overrun testing clinics across Adelaide.

“The laboratory continues to perform very well with turn around times in the order of 12 to 14 hours for all tests. so once the tests are collected you can expect to get your results back very quickly,” Dr said.

Dr Dodd announced a new testing clinic at Waterworld Ridgehaven, which was open from Tuesday morning.

The surge in tests comes after more cases of Covid were confirmed in South Australia, bringing the number of positive cases in this cluster to five.

They are all linked to an 81-year-old man who tested positive in the Modbury Hospital, putting the emergency department into lockdown.

Originally published as SA authorities announce raft of measures as Covid testing sites around Adelaide overwhelmed again