People without symptoms – COVID-19 testing now available

This week the State Government announced it would be expanding COVID-19 testing throughout Victoria, to include people with no symptoms.

The purpose of the expansion is to provide authorities and healthcare professionals with an improved understanding of the spread of COVID-19 across the community.

The State has set an ambitious target to carry out 100,000 tests over the next fortnight, which will inform decision making affecting all Victorians in the coming weeks.

At this stage, only construction workers, retail and supermarket workers, agricultural workers, healthcare workers, emergency workers, people with pre-existing chronic conditions and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders can get tested under the new ‘asymptomatic’ (no symptoms) testing guidelines.

WDHS Chief Executive, Rohan Fitzgerald says he welcomes the expansion.

“The new testing and screening regime will be an essential tool in combatting COVID-19 and will assist authorities to better understand the spread of the virus in communities across Victoria.

We are very supportive and will be swabbing ‘asymptomatic’ community members at the Hamilton Base Hospital Drive-thru Clinic,” he said.

The WDHS Drive-thru clinic has been in operation since 13th March and has screened 488 people and tested 331 members of the community. The emphasis over this time has been on testing people that have met a strict screening criteria and who have had some of the known COVID-19 symptoms. These measures have been effective, not only locally, but across the state in reducing the spread of the virus.

Mr Fitzgerald says Victoria is in a fortunate position to offer such a broad based, inclusive program, to support the health and welfare of people during this crisis.

“We are seeing internationally that other jurisdictions are struggling to provide these fundamental programs to better understand the extent of the spread of the virus in their populations.

This conservative approach will hopefully show us that the community’s efforts in applying restrictive lifestyle measures, including social distancing, hand washing and staying at home, have led to very low levels of community spread.

Mr Fitzgerald said he expects there may be substantial demand for the Drive-thru Clinic as a result of these changes and asked that people remain patient.

“In order to manage the large volumes of people, we expect to come for testing, we have capped the number of vehicles at 150 per day,” he said.

People who are tested and don’t have symptoms, will not be required to self-isolate.

If people do have any COVID-19 symptoms, or have been overseas, or in contact with a known case, they must self-isolate after testing, with results now available within 48 hours.

All community testing (symptomatic and asymptomatic) is being conducted at the Hamilton Base Hospital Drive-thru Clinic:

• Monday to Friday 1pm to 3pm

• Saturdays 10am to 12pm

• No appointments necessary

• Please follow the advice of the healthcare professionals.

Clinic times may change. For details visit the WDHS Facebook page and website.Media Release

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