Across our region, COVID-19 testing numbers have increased more than fourfold on the week prior, and the time it takes to get results has also lengthened as labs struggle to keep up the pace.
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As an example of the volume of tests across the state, NSW Health recorded a total of 151,767 test results just in the 24 hours from 8pm August 15 to 8pm August 16.
A spokesperson for Laverty pathology, one of the biggest private companies in our area to supplement testing done by NSW Health, said NSW continues to conduct record levels of testing.
"The team at Laverty Pathology is working around the clock in support of the community and processing a large proportion of these tests, at times over 30,000 per day," they said.
"In the New England region alone, over the past 10 days, Laverty Pathology has conducted an average of 1250 COVID-19 tests per day, up from 200 per day at the beginning of August."
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Statistics released by Hunter New England Health on Tuesday show that in Armidale, the total number of tests done last week has increased by more than 532 percent on the week prior, in Uralla by an impressive 627 percent, in Inverell there was an increase of 451 percent, in Glen Innes of 355 percent, and in Moree and Tenterfield by just over 200 percent.
Tamworth recorded an increase of 349 percent, but the small town of Walcha took the prize with a whopping 800 percent increase in COVID-19 tests compared to the week prior.
And those numbers don't include the COVID-19 tests conducted since all of regional NSW was put into lockdown on Saturday evening.
In terms of tests per 1000 people, many of our region's towns are still behind the Hunter New England Health catchment rate of 213 tests per 1000 people.
The one exception is the Armidale local government area which has an impressive testing rate of 296 per 1000, compared with Walcha ( 199 per 1000); Tamworth (191 per 1000); Uralla (178 per 1000); Glen Innes ( 140 per 1000); Inverell ( 138 per 1000); Moree ( 102 per 1000 ); and Tenterfield (74 per 1000).
Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall said the testing process was haphazard, with a high level of tests being done locally and statewide, which then had to be sent to laboratories in Sydney.
He said test results were being processed 24 hours a day, which meant results could come through at unusual times.
"A courier is flying the tests to Sydney, and the local tests are among 160,000 being done each day in NSW," Mr Marshall told the Armidale Express last week.
"It means it can take three or four days for the results to be sent via SMS message, but some test results are taking longer.
"There have also been a few cases where the result has been sent to an incorrect number."
The Laverty spokesperson said their current turnaround times for the state are 24 hours for close contacts, healthcare workers, and tests received from aged care and quarantine facilities; and approximately 72 hours for others.
"This situation is, of necessity, dynamic and will continue to be so," they said.
"We apologise for the inconvenience and frustration that these delayed test results are causing.
"We are working to improve these times back to the targeted 24-48 hours, including through the roll-out of electronic check-in at our drive-through sites, enhancements to data entry, and many other initiatives."
When asked about claims on social media of five-day test result waits in Tamworth at a virtual regional press conference on Monday, Deputy Premier John Barilaro told Australian Community Media that Sydney's construction workers would move to rapid antigen testing to reduce the pressure on pathology labs.
"We understand in some areas the testing delay through either direct health or our pathology partners is not acceptable because of the stress on the system, especially here in Sydney," Mr Barilaro said.
To date, Laverty Pathology frontline staff have conducted more than 1.3 million COVID tests in NSW and ACT since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
"Our people have performed critical testing for our communities, setting up more than 60 COVID-19 testing sites, at times within hours, and we will continue to be there for the communities of NSW and ACT while we try to get our turnarounds for results back to normal," they said.
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Vanessa Arundale
Everyone has a story to tell and I like to help them do it.
Everyone has a story to tell and I like to help them do it.
