Cairns Showgrounds Helping Ease Testing Queues
State records 20,566 new cases
A new mass testing site has opened at Cairns Showgrounds, and it's slowly easing demand amid record case numbers.
As the Omicron virus continues to inflate new daily infections in the Sunshine state, one clinic is playing their role amid the chaos.
The queuing difficulties caused havoc across the country through the holiday season, as pathology labs became slammed with PCR tests.
The Cairns regional area recorded 516 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, Donna Goodman from Cairns and Hinterland Hospital/Health Service said one patient is in intensive care.
There are almost 20 people being treated in the region's hospitals, however most cases are being managed through home isolation.
“The delays are more due to the workload at the pathology lab than about getting the tests here at the testing centres.”
After reports of extensive queues over the New Year period, the Showgrounds pop-up site is diminishing the gruelling wait times - prioritised through their 16 separate testing booths.
“We ask people to support health service plans who are doing what they can to manage Covid, so that's getting vaccinated, social isolation, handwashing, mask wearing but also having a Covid plan in place if someone in your household has Covid so you’re able to manage it at home,” Dr Goodman said
The Cairns Convention Centre vaccination hub opened up vaccines for children aged five to 11 from Monday.
Queensland recorded 20,566 cases as of 8pm Tuesday.
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