Doctor lashes COVID testing system

A HOBART doctor has slammed Tasmania’s coronavirus screening measures, saying a referral system is “pointless” and that limiting testing to symptomatic people could have dire consequences.

Hobart radiologist and returned Brisbane traveller Pip Taplin said she was astonished to be told last Friday she did not meet the criteria for a COVID test because she wasn’t displaying any flu- like symptoms.

The health worker said she received mixed messages from authorities across Friday when later that afternoon her phone requests were accepted after Greater Brisbane was declared a high- risk area.

“After being told no about 10am, I called up the COVID hotline about an hour later when Brisbane was announced as a highrisk area and was told, ‘ yes, you qualify now’,” she said.

“They called me back with a 2pm test time which was good but they never provided a time for my husband, Owen, who was in Brisbane with me.

“We got through again on the phone but shortly after, the whole system crashed — we tried phoning four times, as did two of my staff members but the calls failed.”

On Friday, text messages were sent to Ms Taplin along with 5666 other recent arrivals to Tasmania who had indicated they had been in Queensland since Saturday January 2.

Dr Taplin, who returned a negative test result and is undergoing 14- days isolation, said Tasmania’s COVID screening measures were inadequate.

“The palaver you have to go through is extraordinary and far different to every other state,” she said.

“We are absolutely doing insufficient tests. I could have been a non- symptomatic spreader and if you don’t test all people who’ve come from Brisbane you won’t identify those who are non- symptomatic.”

She also lashed the coronavirus booking and referral system.

“There shouldn’t be a booking system and there should instead be pop up mobile clinics as they do interstate,” she said.

A state government spokesman said the priority groups for testing remained people with symptoms, people who had been to identified high risk premises, and contacts of cases.