COVID clinics at Henry Street, around Launceston backed up

As Public Health confirmed a second COVID positive person in Launceston on Sunday morning, and late on Saturday night 21 different exposure listings were updated.

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By Sunday morning Premier Peter Gutwein announced an indoor mask mandate, and it was apparent a once "inevitable" wave of COVID-19 reentering Tasmania had arrived.

The mandate, listings and cases evidently proved to incite a testing flame within Northern Tasmanians who flocked to check their COVID status on Sunday morning.

By 10am testing clinics were overflowing with cars, and by midday Tasmania Police alerted the public to delays to get tested, and of travel inhibitions nearby.

"There are currently lengthy delays at COVID testing sites in Launceston," a spokesperson said.

"In particular, the site in Henry Street, Launceston is experiencing a back up of traffic."

In October State Health Commander Kathrine Morgan-Wicks detailed a move to the Henry Street site from a then former Wellington Street site.

She said the new site had the capacity for four lanes of drive-through testings, "and additional capacity can be provided if there is a surge in demand".

The Wellington Street site was again operating on Sunday.

Further information about exposure sites is available at: www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au/families-community/public-exposure-sites-in-tasmania.

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