Ballarat's first drive-through COVID-19 collection site has opened at the former Atlantic Hotel on Skipton Street in Redan.
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Run by 4Cyte Pathology, no appointment is required, and the site offers symptomatic and asymptomatic testing.
4Cyte's Con Malliadis said people will still require a referral from their GP or a specialist, which they can bring with them or have emailed to the site.
People without a referral, who do not have Medicare or private health insurance, can also pay for a test.
People do not leave their vehicle during the swabbing process, with all staff in full personal protective equipment.
The results will be returned to the referring GP or specialist, usually within 24 hours, with the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services informed of any positive cases.
Specimens are taken to laboratories in Melbourne for testing.
CORONAVIRUS: THE LATEST
The company also has sites across Melbourne and Geelong, Mr Malliadis said, and is working directly with DHHS at three sites.
The Ballarat drive-through collection site will also offer employee testing, either at the drive-through or at work sites.
"We're here to support GPs and specialists in town," Mr Malliadis said.
"We saw the need (in Ballarat), there's wider need in regional communities now - the Premier came out and specifically mentioned Ballarat and Geelong.
"This was a vacant building and we saw the opportunity - we wanted the perfect site, and we went for it straight away."
This is the first drive-through site to open in Ballarat - other regional cities have had drive-through sites for months, or previously during the pandemic, including Geelong, Horsham, Hamilton, and Warrnambool.
Walk-in sites will still be open in Ballarat - this includes at the BHS public dental site in Sebastopol, phone 5320 8889, and Lucas (phone 4311 1571) and Little Bridge Street (1800 054 172) fever clinics.
At the weekend, Ballarat climbed two cases to 27 active cases, which means there have been 58 total cases since the pandemic began. Moorabool has eight active cases while Golden Plains now has seven.
Central Goldfields has one active case, but there are no active cases in either the Hepburn or Pyrenees shires.
In his Sunday briefing, Premier Daniel Andrews specifically called on people in Ballarat, as well as Geelong and Bendigo, to get tested.
Geelong currently has 158 active cases, while Bendigo has 49 active cases.
Mr Andrews noted there were 451 active cases in regional Victoria, down from a peak of 512 a few days ago.
"That is stabilising, we did see some growth a couple of days ago," he said.
"It's really important that people in those communities - the greater communities, not just the city but the smaller communities, come forward, get tested, it's really important.
"If there's one ask, as a takeaway from today's briefing, if people in those regional cities, and across the state, come forward and get tested, that is a really important part of us keeping the numbers in regional Victoria, which are low, to keep them low and drive them lower."
The 628 Skipton Street site is open seven days a week - 8am to 4pm Monday to Friday, and 10am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday.
Enter via Bell Street.
GPs can email pathology request forms to covid19@4cyte.com.au
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Remember to always maintain good hand hygiene, wear a mask when in public, and keep a 1.5 metre distance from others at all times.
Right now there are only four reasons to leave your home in Ballarat during stage three restrictions: care and caregiving, local exercise, shopping for necessary items, and for work or study if you are unable to do so from home.
Victoria Police are enforcing restrictions, and penalties apply.
Anyone with the slightest symptoms is urged to get a test immediately, and must self-isolate until results come back.
For more information, visit the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services website, or phone the hotline on 1800 675 398 for advice if you are displaying symptoms.
WITH GREG GLIDDON
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