A new drive-through COVID-19 testing clinic for Council staff and emergency services personnel has opened in Lake Macquarie to help ease the burden on public testing sites in the Hunter.
The new clinic, operating from the car park at Council’s Speers Point administration building, means police, fire crews, paramedics, frontline Council staff and direct family members now have a dedicated testing site.
The clinic will be operated by 4Cyte Pathology, between 7.30am – 3.30pm Monday-Friday, with samples couriered to labs in Sydney and results typically available within 24 hours.
Council’s Manager Environmental Regulation and Compliance, Derek Poulton said the decision to open the clinic was made in consultation with emergency services and 4Cyte Pathology.
“We’ve all seen how drive-through testing across the region was inundated as a result of the recent surge in COVID-19,” Mr Poulton said.
“We wanted to make sure emergency services crews working so hard in these challenging times, as well as their families and household members, could get tested locally and without delay.
“It was similarly important to ensure Council workers providing essential services in our community can get tested readily.”
Mr Poulton said workers would need to show Council or emergency services credentials on arrival, or proof of their household connection.
Drive-through sites open to all of the community continue to operate at Warners Bay, Speers Point Park, Morisset and Gateshead.
