RETURNED travellers and visitors from Sydney are urged to pre-book COVID-19 tests as fever clinics are unable to take walk-ups in screening for the deadly virus. This comes amid an influx of people vying trying to get tested, mostly those who have been in New South Wales, at the Ballarat Health Services-led support clinic in Little Bridge Street.
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The clinic, based in the senior citizens club, re-opened on Monday afternoon in a bid to help capture the overflow demand from Ballarat's primary testing clinic, which is now based in Errard Street North.
BHS and UFS are directing people to book an appointment online or via phone to ensure testing sites maintain COVID-safe environments.
Victoria has shut its border to people travelling from greater Sydney and the New South Wales Central Coast.
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The NSW COVID-19 cluster connected to Sydney's northern beaches tallies at least 90 cases, with seven more recorded on Tuesday. This includes a Melbourne teenager who returned home on Thursday and tested positive three days later.
Anyone who has been in greater Sydney or the Central Coast is urged to self-isolate and get tested.
UFS and BHS are working to get people same-day appointments, or next day if booked late, in a bid to have results back before Christmas.
The 14-day average for testing in Ballarat rose by 13 cases on Tuesday while in Geelong demand has boomed. While Ballarat and Geelong's testing rates had been on par, Geelong is now averaging 1531 tests per capita compared to Ballarat's 1427.
Anyone who has been to a hot spot area should have been notified by the NSW health department. Anyone with even the slightest cold, flu or hayfever like symptoms who has not travelled is also urged to get tested and not wait until after Christmas in a bid to keep families safe.
Book a COVID-19 test, call: 4311 1571 or online at ufs.com.au/test.
For more details: bhs.org.au/covid-19.
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