With declining demand for PCR testing, the Murdoch COVID-19 testing clinic will close this week.
WA’s Chief Health Officer Dr Andrew Robertson said the Murdoch drive-through PCR testing facility – which opened in March 2022 – would close tomorrow (3 March).
“WA’s public testing clinics played a crucial role in the State’s pandemic response,” he said.
“The Murdoch clinic alone collected 106,641 samples in the past 12 months.
“However, as our case numbers continue to fall, we no longer have the need for dedicated PCR testing sites.”
Western Australians are choosing to use rapid antigen tests ( RATs), which continue to be distributed and available to the community as part of the WA free RAT program.
Last month, of 8,486 confirmed COVID-19 cases across the State, 1,037 (12.2 per cent) were diagnosed with PCR tests compared to 7,449 (87.8 per cent) with RATs.
Dr Robertson said there were up to 12 dedicated public testing clinics across the State at the height of the pandemic – processing more than 4.7 million PCR tests.
The Department of Health also worked with private laboratories to expand its testing network.
“In addition, we often had to rapidly stand up pop-up clinics to respond to case detections in neighbourhoods,” he said.
“At different times we had PCR testing clinics set up in some interesting places including Perth Airport, Garden Island, Fremantle Port, RAAF Pearce Airbase, various Perth hotels, universities, a childcare centre and at the Kununurra and Eucla border crossings.”
Dr Robertson urged people not to become complacent when it came to testing for COVID-19.
“While COVID-19 case numbers are down, the virus is still active in our community,” he said.
“If you have COVID-like symptoms, use a RAT or get a GP referral for a PCR test at a pathology collection centre and register any positive test results.”
See the State Government website for information on WA’s free RAT program.
(ENDS)
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