AS the demand for PCR tests continues to rise, community members are calling for Bathurst's drive-through COVID testing clinic to be relocated.
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The testing facility moved from Mount Panorama to the former Clancy Motors site in October to free up the pit complex for the Bathurst 1000.
"Returning to the Mount Panorama site has not been possible because of other commitments at the venue," a spokesperson for the Western NSW Local Health District said.
"The Western NSW Local Health District worked with Bathurst Regional Council, police and other local services to find an alternate venue. Drive through sites obviously need to be able to accommodate traffic flow, but also need amenities in place to protect staff from weather, for security, and of course for the safe and effective conduct, storage and transport of test samples.
"No other venues meeting these requirements were found to be available in Bathurst."
The Clancy Motors site initially worked well, but since the emergence of the highly-transmissible Omicron variant, demand for testing has increased to unprecedented levels.
The queue for testing regularly stretches through the RSL car park, out onto Rankin Street, up Howick Street and around the block into George Street.
Former councillor Alex Christian, who has been hearing concerns from community members, has called for the site to be moved to stop the impact on traffic.
"The decision to put the testing site there was stupid. To put it inside the CBD is just madness when you have other areas like the hockey fields, maybe even the tennis courts down the other end of Durham Street," Mr Christian said.
"As an everyday ratepayer now, I'm just asking people to show common sense."
After seeing how long the queue was on Thursday, mayor of Bathurst Robert Taylor now also wants to see the testing site relocated.
He has asked council to raise the concerns with the health district.
"It is completely a NSW Health issue where they allocate it, not the council. We've got no say in it," Cr Taylor said. "But we have approached them and we are waiting on them to get back to us and for them to make a decision."
In a statement to the Western Advocate, the WNSWLHD spokesperson said other locations that will lessen the impact on traffic would be considered.
"Traffic management has been an issue at the site during periods of peak demand, and measures have been put in place to mitigate these as much as is possible," they said.
"The operators of the service, the WNSWLHD, council and police will continue to work on improving traffic flow, and consider any other sites that might be raised as options."
For now, the health district is encouraging people to be "patient, respectful and considerate" while waiting for a test, and to consider if they actually need a PCR test before showing up.
People are asked to consider the following:
- If they need to have a PCR test. Currently the primary criteria for PCR testing are having any COVID-19 symptoms or being a close contact of someone with COVID-19 (for instance, they are a member of your household of you've spent an extended period in their company, such as a long car trip or an overnight stay). People who have received a Service NSW alert to monitor for symptoms should not be seeking a PCR test unless those symptoms emerge.
- If there is a queue, whether you are able to self-isolate effectively and return at another time.
- That all healthcare workers and their partners in other services are working as hard as possible to care for our communities. Be patient, respectful and considerate with the testing team and with other people seeking a test
Bathurst drive-through testing site is open from 8am to 4pm daily.
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