With Christmas around the corner and the eternal threat of COVID-19, Melburnians are flocking to testing clinics to make sure they’re safe to travel.
With the new freedoms and bright sun coinciding, many are escaping interstate for the first time in recent memory. However, unless you’re travelling to New South Wales, a negative PCR test is required to cross the border.
Consequently, the wait times at testing sites have risen to all time highs. Some are waiting up to three hours, while others are being turned away completely, as the facilities shut down to process the extensive backlog of tests.
At least 10 testing sites were shut by 9am this morning after already reaching capacity.
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The sites included Alfred Health in the CBD, Montague Street in South Melbourne, Moonee Valley Racecourse, St Vincent’s Hospital in Fitzroy and La Trobe University’s Bundoora campus.
In response, Acting Premier James Merlino told reporters on Sunday that “there are particular sites where the wait is long but the average is 45 minutes to an hour or so”
“I ask people to be patient. We’re expanding and extending it as much as we can”
Victorian MP Ben Carroll reassured the community that the testing blitz is “only natural for Victorians, before they get together to see family at Christmas time, they want to get tested and have that peace of mind that they’re COVID free”.
The MP also reiterated that Merlino and Health Minister Martin Foley were working “around the clock” to ease the pressure on clinics.
The state government has increased its testing capacity by 55% since October. 260 sites are now operating across Victoria. However, the Christmas holidays seem determined to push their ability to the brink.
Victoria has recorded 1302 COVID-19 cases today. This brings the active total in the state to 13,175.
71, 491 tests were processed in the 24 hours to midnight and 4844 people were vaccinated at state-run sites.
