NEW CLINIC OPENING
DRIVE-THROUGH TESTING FOR CORONAVIRUS AT KIRWAN
THE first drive-through fever clinic will open in Kirwan today.
Based at the Kirwan Community Health Campus, it will be the third of its kind in Queensland alongside similar setups in Toowoomba and the Sunshine Coast. Only people showing signs of coronavirus will be tested. The facility is meant to help alleviate the workload of busy GPS and emergency departments.
TOWNSVILLE’S first drivethrough fever clinic will open today, as the state ramps up its response to the coronavirus pandemic
The facility, based at the Kirwan Community Health Campus, is the third of its kind in Queensland alongside similar set ups in Toowoomba and the Sunshine Coast.
It is meant to help alleviate the workload of busy GPS and emergency departments.
It is understood Townsville University Hospital has seen a spike in the number of people heading to the emergency department in a bid to get tested, despite not meeting the criteria.
Residents are being reminded they must be showing symptoms of the virus and have been in contact with someone with COVID-19, or have recently been overseas to be accepted at the drivethrough fever clinic.
Thuringowa MP Aaron Harper said it was “imperative” the service was not overwhelmed.
“Only people that meet the criteria will be tested,” he said.
“We don’t want repeated scenes of what’s happened around the rest of the state and the country.
“We don’t want people abusing health staff.”
It is understood there will be a police presence at the site.
Townsville Hospital and Health Service chief executive Kieran Keyes said going through the drive-through should take about 20 minutes for those people who required testing.
“This is an important service for our community, but we also ask that people be respectful of our staff, particularly if testing is not deemed to be appropriate,” he said.
“The best thing our community can do is to wash their hands thoroughly and often, staying home if they are sick and social distancing.”
Patients who present to the clinic, which is open seven days a week from 8am to 6.30pm, will be triaged by a nurse who will advise if they should attend the drivethrough for swabbing.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Townsville remains at two.
Townsville also has one of the three current governmentrun laboratories that process coronavirus samples.
Based out of the Townsville University Hospital, the lab is able to process up to 100 tests a day.