WITH increased demand putting stress on NSW Health Pathology laboratories, the Western NSW Local Health District has opted to strictly prioritise testing at all facilities.
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Effective immediately, the priority for PCR testing at WNSWLHD facilities will be given to public hospital and multi-purpose inpatients, healthcare workers and other emerging priority groups, such as aged-care facilities.
People showing active symptoms for COVID-19 will also be treated as a priority.
Those identified as close contacts of a confirmed case of COVID-19 will be processed after those priority groups.
Anyone who needs to be tested for travel is urged to use another testing provider.
"COVID-19 testing for travel is not advised at any WNSWLHD facilities as, due to high processing demand, results are unlikely to be available within 72 hours," the WNSWLHD said in a statement on Tuesday.
"Any COVID-19 testing for travel will be only be considered if capacity allows.
"Please note, this does not apply to clinics operated by external providers and turnaround time at those providers' clinics are also subject to demand.
"Anyone who requires COVID-19 testing for travel is advised to present at a clinic operated by an external provider like Laverty Pathology, Histopath or Barratt & Smith."
The health district said that prioritising testing will reduce the strain on WNSWLHD facilities and the NSW Health Pathology laboratories by limiting non-clinical or non-urgent testing within those facilities.
In Bathurst, there is a Laverty Pathology collection centre at Ochre Health, located within the Charles Sturt University campus.
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