DO the responsible thing is the plea from Ballarat Health Services' acting chief executive Ben Kelly as the community shifts to greater reliance on self-diagnosing COVID-19 tools.
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BHS has welcomed a government change to increase at-home rapid antigen testing in a bid to ease pressure on COVID-19 testing facilities.
This follows a week in which the city's major testing site on Creswick Road, run by BHS, was repeatedly forced to suspend operations amid a statewide back-log.
It has also been a week in which RAT kits have all-but sold out across the region.
Mr Kelly said it would be disappointing for people to fail to isolate with symptoms due to the challenges in accessing any testing.
"The vast majority of our community, if not all, have proven they are responsible in the context of this pandemic and we encourage people, if they have symptoms, to isolate themselves and minimise the likelihood of passing on what may be coronavirus or may not be," Mr Kelly said.
Anyone who receives a postive COVID-19 result from a RAT must notify Victoria's health department, online at coronavirus.vic.gov.au or via the Coronavirus Hotline 1800 675 398, and to isolate for seven days.
Nine questions you will be asked after a positive RAT result to determine extra health department support:
- Have you been told you have recently been in contact with someone who has COVID-19?
- Have you been recently unwell with COVID-19 symptoms?
- Do you need any support to stay home?
- Have you received at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine?
- How many doses of the vaccine have you received, if any?
- Have you had any symptoms in the past five days?
- If you have symptoms how sick do you feel?
- Do you have the following conditions (including currently pregnant or cancer treatment, blood disorder, psychiatric condition or lung, heart, kidney, or liver disease)?
- Are you happy to contact your general practitioner for your clinical care?
Household or close contacts of a person with COVID-19, or anyone unwell with COVID-19 symptoms is urged to get a PCR test from a health professional.
Victoria's acting chief health officer Ben Cowie said more than 95 per cent of positive results from a rapid antigen test were actual positive COVID-19 cases.
BHS reiterated on Friday motorists to the Creswick Road test site would be turned away when testing reaches capacity - cars queuing to Macarthur Street - but this was a dynamic situation.
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Meanwhile, walk-in booster bookings are on hold at the COVID-19 vaccination centre at The Mercure while BHS adjusts to jab demand for children, aged five to 11, from Monday. Boosters will be offered to eligible parents accompanying their child.
Walk-in jabs will return when there is capacity. Until then, eligible adults must book ahead for a booster jab.
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