Drive Through COVID-19 Clinic opens at Community Health Centre on 1 June 2020
The Far West LHD COVID-19 drive thru testing clinic in the Musicians Club carpark closes after today (Friday, 29 May 2020) as the club is reopening soon due to the relaxation of restrictions.
A new drive thru clinic will open on Monday in the BH Community Health Centre staff carpark. You can only enter via Crystal Lane (one way from Sulphide Street entry) and only exit into Crystal Street.
The drive thru will operate Monday to Friday from 10am to 2pm. Please obey the traffic directions (which will be one way through the clinic) and be aware that oversized vehicles CANNOT be accommodated. The clinic is only for drive thru patients, no pedestrians allowed.
If you have any flu-like symptoms, please drive in for a test. Anyone is welcome to be screened and you don't need a GP referral or an appointment - and it's free.
You can come in for screening if you have been unwell and have any of the following common symptoms, even if only minor: Fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, fatigue, aches and pains, headaches, runny nose.
The person will be screened by a FWLHD staff member following an assessment and it is then decided if the patient will be tested. All patients are given information about COVID-19, hand hygiene and about self-isolation. People who do not have any symptoms will not be tested.
If the patient requires testing, they will be swabbed by a staff member while they are seated in their car. The testing consists of a swab of one of their nostrils. They will be told to self-isolate until they have received the results. Results are normally back within 3-5 days.
Where a patient receives a positive result, they will be contacted by the Public Health Unit (PHU). Where a patient returns a negative result they will be informed the test is negative via text message if they have consented to this.
With restrictions easing, everyone is urged to remain vigilant regarding their physical distancing and hand hygiene and urged to use the COVID-19 drive thru clinic if they believe they should be screened and tested.
The drive thru clinic in the Musicians Club carpark has been a success, with over 114 people tested and over 180 screened.
The Far West LHD expresses its thanks and appreciation to the Musicians Club for the use of their carpark over the last three weeks. Also to Broken Hill City Council for the continued loan of traffic resources used in the drive thru.
The drive through COVID-19 clinic opening on Monday is in addition to the current clinic operating at the Broken Hill Health Service (Thomas Street entry) seven days a week, 10am to 8pm.