Ballarat's COVID-19 testing sites are overwhelmed this morning as people turn out in huge numbers to get tested for the virus.
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One of the testing facilities is currently at full capacity, with no available slots until Sunday, while another is estimating 90-minute wait times this morning.
The UFS clinic on Errard Street North is booked out, according to UFS acting chief executive Talei Deacon, but anyone with symptoms is still urged to get in touch.
"We're currently at capacity, every single room we have for testing is open and operating," she said.
"We don't have capacity to expand further, but we do encourage people to get tested, and we've been really pleased with people in Ballarat getting tested in the last couple of days.
"We're hoping to extend opening hours later this week, we're just working on staffing, and we've been talking BHS about that - we're always collaborating."
She confirmed 143 people were tested at the site on Tuesday, and 134 on Wednesday, whereas previously the site was averaging about 110 people each week day.
The 4Cyte Pathology drive-through testing site at the old Atlantic Hotel on the corner of the Midland Highway and Bell Street in Redan has cars queued around the block in order to get tested.
The queue starts at the Atlantic Hotel and runs along Darling Street, Extended Lane and Bell Street before entering the Atlantic Hotel car park with cars lined up bumper-to-bumper the whole way around.
Staff at the 4Cyte Pathology site said their numbers had tripled or quadrupled since yesterday with some people travelling from Melbourne and Geelong yesterday to get tested and estimated a 90-minute wait this morning.
"Probably 100 nearly an hour. They've doubled our staff today. Normally it's just the two of us, but we've doubled our staff and we've got another man here for traffic control as well," COVID collector Sally Mach said.
"We had people up from Melbourne yesterday because they said it was a five-hour wait down there."
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Ms Mach said those in line had been patient and friendly towards staff.
"Everyone's being really lovely and saying thank you which is really nice to be appreciated. They can see we're under the pump but they've been pretty patient. They often offer to come back and bring us coffee which is lovely," she said.
Anyone with the mildest symptoms must get tested as soon as possible.
"If people aren't able to get into a test straight away, isolate at home until they can get tested, and then until they receive that negative result," Ms Deacon said.
Bookings for the UFS clinic can be made online or by phoning 4311 1571 - the clinic, at 15 Errard Street North, is open between 8.30am to 5pm on weekdays and from 9am - 1pm on weekends.
Testing is free for patients, and a referral is not required.
Everyone is urged to keep an eye on the Department of Health and Human Services' exposure sites list, which can change daily.
For more information, visit the website.
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