KDHS acting chief executive officer Wendy Ross said the Kyabram site tested 400 people on Monday, the most completed in one day in the region since testing commenced.
The rush coincides with Hurley’s Bar and Bistro being listed as an exposure site after a positive case attended the venue on December 23.
“The increased demand was expected due to general demand across the region and more specifically due to a local exposure site in Kyabram,” Mrs Ross said.
“There are a lot of people who are being tested for travel purposes, estimated to be about 50 per cent of tests undertaken.
“There have been minimal wait times except for Monday when the wait time got up to approximately four hours.”
As a way to ease the pressure of testing sites across the state, the Victorian Department of Health (DHHS) is urging residents to delay testing for travel purposes until after midday as a way to minimise the blowout in wait times.
The sites have been overwhelmed with close contacts, people with symptoms and, most commonly, keen travellers ready to leave the state who must receive a PCR test and negative result within 72 hours of their flight.
In a statement released from the DHHS, Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said PCR testing for interstate travel is “not the most efficient use of testing resources in the current environment”.
“We recognise that Victorians getting tested for travel are simply doing the right thing and following the rules in place at their destination,” he said.
“We kindly ask people who are getting a PCR test for travel purposes to get tested after 12pm daily. This will help reduce testing demand for symptomatic people and contacts during the busier morning period.”
After COVID-19 testing sites across the Goulburn Valley were hit with increased demand, leaving residents waiting up to six hours in line, KDHS extended the hours of the drive-through testing site to assist in alleviating wait times.
Mrs Ross said the site exceeded capacity but staff worked through by extending hours to meet the demands of the community.
“The KDHS staff have been exceptional in supporting the community access local testing, ten staff came in from their days off and annual leave to man the testing station on Monday, and again six staff manned the station on Tuesday,” she said.
“These days were public holidays with the testing station originally not planned to be open to give staff a well-earned break. After two years of increased and constantly changing demands, their willingness to give up their much-needed time off to support the community is greatly appreciated.”
