By Alesha Capone
Six new mobile coronavirus testing sites across Melbourne will open today, including in Wyndham, as part of the state government’s blitz to test up to 100,000 people in two weeks.
The new sites – located at Bunnings West Footscray, Pacific Werribee, Pacific Epping, Watergardens Town Centre, Westfield Fountain Gate and Bayside Shopping Centre in Frankston – are due to begin conducting tests this morning.
It comes after four new mobile coronavirus testing sites opened yesterday at Chadstone, Doncaster, Highpoint and Northland shopping centres – bringing the total so far to 10.
The testing sites will be manned by doctors, nurses and pathology collection staff.
Minister for Health Jenny Mikakos has encouraged Victorians with even the mildest symptoms to go get tested.
Symptoms that should prompt people to get tested include fever, chills, shortness of breath, cough, sore throat, loss of sense of smell, or a runny nose.
The state government is working closely with shopping centres which, as part of a broader industry effort, have offered to host mobile testing sites to ensure all relevant safety protocols are managed.
Additional sites in regional and suburban locations will come online in the coming days.
People will need to bring their Medicare card, or if they don’t have one, at least one form of identification. This will ensure international students and other visitors can also be tested if required.
Signage will be established to guide people into the mobile testing sites, which will be located near the busiest parts of the shopping centres, such as supermarkets, with traffic management systems in place.
More information on testing and where to go is available at dhhs.vic.gov.au/victorian-public-coronavirus-diseasecovid-19#where-can-i-get-tested-for-coronavirus-covid-19.
