A dedicated phone app or website for Covid-19 test bookings would help tackle lengthy queues at drive-through clinics in South Western Sydney.
The call has come from the Labor opposition and is backed by local MP Anoulack Chanthivong after he witnessed first hand the chaotic scenes of people queueing up to get tested in the wake of the Crossroads Hotel outbreak.
From Liverpool to Picton local residents have had to wait for hours to get tested, with many of them giving up and leaving to go home or to work.
“Thousands of people in South West Sydney have done the right thing and came forward to get tested,” said the Member for Macquarie Fields, who also got himself tested after having visited the Crossroads Hotel for dinner.
“Unfortunately, while waiting in line for testing for two hours at Campbelltown Hospital on Sunday I saw people leave out of frustration,’’ Mr Chanthivong said.
“There were similar scenes at the pop-up clinic at Casula on Monday because the wait was too long.
“We must improve the efficiency of testing so long lines don’t deter people trying to do the right thing to keep our community safe.
“The NSW Government needs to make it quick and easy for people to get tested so we can stop COVID-19 outbreaks as soon as possible.”
Labor’s proposal would see an app or website build on existing services and allow people to:
• Book a test online in advance to avoid waiting in a line;
• Use real-time information to see which clinics have testing capacity to avoid overcrowding.
His Labor colleague and opposition better public services spokesperson Sophie Cotsis, said: “While drive-through pop-up clinics are a good idea, the reality is that people have been stuck waiting for hours to get tested.
“It’s common sense. Faster testing would help identify cases, speed-up contact tracing and stop the spread of Covid-19.
“The government already provides people with real time information on waiting times in emergency departments, including the number of people waiting to be seen. We must immediately implement a similar system for Covid testing sites,’’ Ms Cotsis said.
