The drive-through site at Chadstone shopping centre was forced to close by 8.20am today following an onslaught of traffic queues “spilling out on the road”.
“My understanding is that it’s a traffic issue,” Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton said.
“As soon as police can manage that traffic flow, they’ll be available for testing again.”
Testing centres, including Westfield Fountain Gate and Chadstone, were also forced to shut early yesterday due to being overwhelmed by people, with some reporting lengthy wait times of four hours.
The surge has prompted authorities to open new testing centres across the state, including the Melbourne Showgrounds from today.
The showgrounds will open at 1pm today to Keilor Downs College students, teachers and parents only, before opening to the public on Thursday. It comes as a second student from the school, believed to be in Year 10, tested positive to the virus.
A pop-up drive-through site has also been re-established at West Footscray Bunnings and another new pop-up at Craigieburn Central.
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews yesterday apologised for the delays and vowed to consider opening even more testing sites if the surge in demand continued.
“I know there’s been some delays and that’s just a function of many, many people doing the right thing,” Mr Andrews said.
“Coming forward and getting tested, even with very mild symptoms really does give us the data and the evidence to do the contact tracing, to try to win this battle.”
Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien slammed the delays, claiming no one should have to wait hours to be tested and up to three days for results.
“You’ve got Victorians trying to do the right thing, trying to protect their families, themselves and their fellow Victorians and the government’s let them down by not making enough testing available,” he said.
Where to get tested for coronavirus in Victoria
Victorians have been urged to get tested for coronavirus if they have symptoms. There are a range of options available to people wanting to get tested for COVID-19, these include:
- Going to your local GP: Call them beforehand, they may perform the test or refer you to a pathology provider
- A GP respiratory clinic – view the full list here
- A Victorian hospital respiratory clinic
- A Community Health Centre respiratory clinic
- Regional walk-through clinics
Drive-through testing clinics:
Chadstone Shopping Centre: 7 days: 8am-7pm
Craigieburn – 274-304 Craigieburn Road: 7 days: 9am-4pm
Dandenong drive-through centre – Carroll Lane Car Park (off Cheltenham Road): 7 days: 9am-12pm and 1pm-4pm
Highpoint Shopping Centre: 7 days: 9am-5pm
Knox Shopping Centre: 7 days: 9am-5pm
Keilor Community Hub (pop-up site) Old Calder Highway – drive-through only: Monday to Friday: 10am-4pm
Pacific Werribee Shopping Centre: Monday – Friday: 8am-7pm; closed weekends
Pacific Epping Shopping Centre; 7 days: 8am-7pm
Northland Shopping Centre: 7 days: 8am-7pm
Southland Shopping Centre: 7 days: 9am-5pm
West Footscray Bunnings: 7 days: opening Wed 24 Jun, 10am-6pm, then 8am-6pm
When should I get tested for coronavirus?
What are the coronavirus symptoms?
The coronavirus symptoms to watch out for include fever, chills or sweats, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose and loss of sense of smell or taste.
What do I need to do before I get tested?
Wear a mask (if you have one) when you go to get tested to help prevent spreading the infection to others.
Avoid using public transport, taxi or rideshare services. People who get tested should return home immediately after the test.
Bring your Medicare card, or if you don’t have one, another form of identification.
How long does it take to get coronavirus test results?
Results usually come through between one to three days after you’re tested. But sometimes there are delays and it can take longer.
People who have questions about their results should contact the clinic or hospital where they were tested.
Those who were tested at a drive-through site and have been waiting more than five days for a result should call the dedicated Onsite Doctor Results Hotline on: 03 8669 0255.
How do they test for coronavirus?
The test takes about a minute and involves taking a sample swab from the back of your throat and nose.
Once the test is complete, your sample is sent to a laboratory and tested to see if you have COVID-19. You will be contacted by your doctor or the clinic who did the test with your results.
What happens if I test positive or negative?
The doctor or the clinic where you were tested will contact you by phone or SMS to tell you your results, regardless if it is positive or negative.
If you test positive you will need to immediately self-isolate. Those who get tested should already been isolating at home while waiting for these results. You will be then contacted by a public health worker from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for advice on the next steps.
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