No appointment or referral will be needed for Tasmanians who want to get tested for coronavirus at new mobile clinics.
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As part of an expanded testing regime, the clinics will operate at the Mowbray Racecourse and Derwent Entertainment Centre from Tuesday to Thursday.
Coronavirus: All the latest updates on COVID-19 for Tasmania
The following week, the clinics will move to yet to be determined locations at Prospect and Sorell, Health Minister Sarah Courtney announced on Saturday.
She said other suburbs would host the clinics in future weeks and a new marketing campaign would be launched to inform communities of dates and locations.
"This helps break down barriers for people wanting to get tested and ensures that we've got good coverage across our state," Ms Courtney said.
"We want to see businesses being able to reopen, we want to see sport resuming and the way that we are going to be able to do that is by ensuring we have high levels of testing."
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As part of a push to increase testing, Ms Courtney said more people without symptoms would be able to get tested from next week.
"We're also expanding testing to ensure that all hospital patients that are being discharged into aged care facilities will also be tested.
"Furthermore we're also expanding testing to close contacts who are in their quarantine periods between days 10 and 12."
Testing will now also be available to non-essential travellers who come to Tasmania and are in days 10 to 12 of their quarantine.
Ms Courtney said healthcare workers with no symptoms, but concerns about contracting COVID-19, could also get tested from next week.
"Each of these expanded criteria are based on the best health advice.
"We also want to ensure that as restrictions are easing, people don't become complacent about the need to remain vigilant around testing. Just because we're seeing more people out and about in our streets...that doesn't mean that we don't have to start thinking about our symptoms."
Almost 24,000 COVID-19 tests have been carried out in Tasmania.
Labor welcomed Ms Courtney's announcement and said a testing expansion was overdue.
New groups able to get COVID-19 tests in Tasmania
- All persons presenting with respiratory symptoms, or with history of recent respiratory symptoms (within the last seven days)
- All hospital patients who are being discharged to residential aged care facilities (mandatory)
- Healthcare Workers who are symptomatic (mandatory) or asymptomatic (voluntary)
- Close contacts between days 10-12 of quarantine periods (voluntary, from next week)
- Non-essential travellers between days 10-12 of quarantine periods (voluntary, from next week)
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Ryan Young
Journalist at The Examiner in Launceston via the Daily Liberal at Dubbo.
Journalist at The Examiner in Launceston via the Daily Liberal at Dubbo.
