New testing site in Ballarat as COVID-19 cases grow

A THIRD COVID-19 testing site has been activated in Ballarat as cases of the virus increase across regional Victoria.

The reactivated facility at Ballarat Health Service’s dental clinic on the corner of Hertford Street and Tuppen Drive in Sebastopol joins the two others already in operation including the UFS run site in Lucas and Ballarat Community Health’s Little Bridge Street location.

BHS CEO Dale Fraser said he was confident local staff could handle the testing work, but Australian Defence Force personnel support has been offered.

“We’ve moved our clinic to Sebastopol, this is our rapid response testing team,” he said. “We’ve received offers… from the ADF to augment our staff up there if we need it them, but the feeling… at the moment is that they have adequate trained clinicians and equipment to do the job.

“We are quite hopeful that the measures of masks and social isolation and stage four and so forth are making a difference and that we well see a very stable environment in Ballarat.”

Access to all three sites is still via appointment and Mr Fraser said that it was unlikely Ballarat would see a drive through testing location any time soon.

“We’ve tried that before and Ballarat’s weather is not that great for staff and we do have to be cognisant of the conditions of staff in really inclement weather,” he said.

“Even though you might have a marque it’s still relatively cold. We don’t have any other natural structures like multi-story carparks and so fourth that are easily transformed into a drive through.

“We may revisit that once the weather picks up.”

The site will also be the base for a remote testing team that will travel around the western region conducting workplace visits.

“This is a team that’s only recently been stood up in the last week and whose primary job is to go out and visit high-risk locations,” Mr Fraser said.

“There’s 500 staff to be tested… at Frews in Stawell and another 300 staff in Ararat. They are also going up to Nihll to do the Luv-A-Duck and will come back through various other locations.”

The move to activate a third physical testing site comes as cases of COVID-19 have grown in regional Victoria over the last few weeks, with Ballarat, Geelong and Bendigo identified as increasing hotspots.

During that time Geelong has seen positive tests for the virus just by over 100 and Bendigo more than 50 while Ballarat has recoded at least 30 new active cases.

In the Ballarat region Mr Fraser said he was confident the cause of the cases were traceable.

“Each of those positives are connected to known locations and well within control,” he said.

Appointments for all three COVID-19 testing sites can be made over the phone.

Numbers are: UFS Lucas clinic on 4311 1571, the Ballarat Community Health clinic on 1800 054 172 and the Ballarat Health Services Sebastopol clinic on 5320 8889.

“The work there is free… and we do ask… that you call to just ensure that we don’t have an overwhelming number at a small time,” Mr Fraser said. “We do have the opportunity to space demand out over the course of the day.”

Mr Fraser was also clear in reiterating BHS messaging around testing and self-isolation.

“Be responsible. If you have symptoms get tested. There’s three sites in Ballarat now, there should be excuse for anybody to not get a test,” he said.

“If you do have symptoms and are being tested remember to go to the testing site and then go directly home and wait for your results. Do not go out shopping. Do not go out and have coffee with friends.”