The Victorian Government has announced a massive expansion of testing, which will help inform decisions about slowly lifting restrictions ahead of the State of Emergency being reviewed on 11 May. While the number of cases is low, there is still a chance that that the virus is present but undetected in the community.
‘Up to 100,000 Victorians will be tested for coronavirus over the next two weeks as part of a major testing blitz across the state.
Victorians have done a remarkable job sticking to the coronavirus restrictions, and by staying home have saved lives. We are now asking Victorians to again play their part and get tested if they have symptoms, because the more tests we do, the more data we have about the prevalence of coronavirus in the community.’ Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton said.
Who should get tested?
People with common symptoms of coronavirus including fever, chills, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose or loss of sense of smell are encouraged to get tested.
To get further advice, call the 24-hour coronavirus hotline 1800 675 398, your general practitioner or use our online self-assessment tool.
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton said ‘Our daily case numbers are still low which is encouraging. They prove that our physical distancing measures are working but this is not a time to relax our strong approach – this disease can get away from you very quickly as we have seen overseas.’
How do you get tested?
You can get tested through your general practitioner (GP), a GP respiratory clinic or a Victorian hospital coronavirus Acute Respiratory Assessment Clinic. You should call your GP ahead of time to inform them you would like to be tested for coronavirus (COVID-19).
Your GP can provide you advice and may be able to test you. If needed, your GP will either test you or refer you to other local testing services, such as a local pathology collection centre.
Read more about testing on the Getting tested for coronavirus (COVID-19) website.
There now is a mobile testing site in the underground carpark of Watergardens Shopping Centre.
(https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/getting-tested-coronavirus-covid-19)