Dubbo residents have answered the call for increased COVID-19 testing, according to the Western region health authority.
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Cars were backed up at the drive-through testing clinic at Dubbo Showground throughout Monday, with some reported waiting times of up to 30 minutes.
Staff performed 250 tests up to midday on Monday, and around 1800 tests in Dubbo and Mudgee over the weekend.
A new walk-in clinic opened on Monday morning at Manera Plaza in Myall Street, replacing the former location at Dubbo Hospital.
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No new cases have been detected in Dubbo or anywhere in Western NSW, but with the detection of virus fragments at Dubbo Sewage Treatment Plant from samples taken last Tuesday and Thursday, we're urged to remain vigilant.
"We're really pleased that Dubbo's come and answered the call for increased testing," Dubbo Health Service director of nursing and midwifery Samantha Quarmby said. "It's really important since we've had our COVID detection in the sewage that even people with the mildest of symptoms come ahead, get tested, go home and isolate until you get our test results and do your little bit for the public health of our community."
Mild symptoms could include a sore throat, cold and flu-like symptoms, nausea and vomiting.
"If you're not sure the safest thing to do is come and get tested," Ms Quarmby said.
Have you heard about Rapid Antigen testing? Want to know what it's about? Check it out in the video below.
Since the opening of the new walk-in clinic, located at 77 Myall Street, you can no longer get tested at Dubbo Hospital.
"We recognised that as the hospital's workload increases and the requirement for increased testing occurs simultaneously, we needed to identify a new location which would be capable of surging during times like we're experiencing at the moment, whilst also keeping the community and the staff safe."
You don't need an appointment at either locations (Myall Street and Dubbo Showground) and both operate from 8am to 4:30pm. But we're asked to be patient, as there is a process to register someone before performing the swabs. The turnaround time varies, but is between 24 to 72 hours.
"No one wants to be that person that spreads it amongst their family, or their community, school or their workplace," Ms Quarmby said.
"It's really simple, it's really easy, a little bit uncomfortable as the swabs passed in your nose and the back of your throat but absolutely worthwhile."
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