The Northern Territory and Western Australia have opened coronavirus treatment centres - with facilities already up-and-running in Tasmania, NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland.
The Northern Territory government said it hoped the facilities at the new 'pandemic clinic' will help assess and test people who are showing symptoms of COVID-19.
“At the moment if you are very sick and you’re needing care you will be taken into the emergency department at the Royal Darwin Hospital,” NT Deputy Chief Health Officer, and COVID-19 Health Lead, Dianne Stephen said.
“This clinic is for the relatively well people and perhaps the people who have had contact with COVID-19 to test whether or not they’ve got the virus.
The Darwin clinic. Source: SBS News/Aneeta Bhole
“The testing will be done at this facility and then be sent to a laboratory before returning results which may take up to 24 hours to come back.”
NT Minister for Health, Natasha Fyles, said there is a particular focus in rolling out clinics in remote areas of the Territory.
“Territorians need to be assured that we are prepared, with a particular focus around Aboriginal facilities which is a very volatile population,” she said.
“We have previously stood up a fever clinic before around the swine flu, but Territorians have been advised that if they do believe they have the coronavirus they should call ahead to their GP if they can.”
Ms Stephens said clinics will eventually be rolled out across these remote areas, but Darwin was the first following a man travelling in Darwin testing positive.
Outside the Darwin clinic. Source: SBS News/Aneeta Bhole
“We have a need in Darwin having our first positive case with multiple close contacts that have required some support,” she said.
“We’re also looking at clinic sites in the Palmerston region in Alice Springs and in all of our regional centres, so rest assured across the territory we are beginning to prepare for the virus if and when it comes into our community.”
Perth residents have already started to line up outside the COVID-19 clinics with the opening of three clinics today.
WA Minister For Health Roger Cook echoed that the clinics were only for those who showed symptoms of the virus.
Outside the WA clinic. Source: SBS News/Aaron Fernandes
"We are taking precautionary action to help protect Western Australians and to ensure we are prepared to steadfastly manage community-based transmission here,” he said.
"These COVID clinics will provide important testing hubs for people who meet the criteria to be tested.
"For most people, the symptoms of the disease will be mild and will be able to be managed in self-isolation at home, but we need to make sure we have measures in place to rapidly diagnose, advise and care for people who are higher risk of more severe illness.”
Those who should attend are people with fever and respiratory symptoms such as cough or sore throat and those who:
- have returned from overseas travel in the last 14 days or;
- are a contact of a confirmed COVID-19 case or;
- believe they have been in contact with a person infected with COVID-19.
There are currently more than 100 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Australia, including three deaths.
