Residents urged to get tested

Testing for Covid-19 will be ramped up in the Inner West with residents urged to get tested.
It is the third day in a row that the number of new diagnosed cases of Covid-19 is under 10 – in the 24 hours up to 8pm on Monday, April 13, seven new cases were identified.
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said the focus this week will be on areas where they have identified cases that don’t have clear links to clusters.
“We want to assure ourselves there is not broader community transmission occurring in those areas,” and she has urged residents to call their GP or present at a Covid-19 clinic or their local emergency department, depending on the situation, to undergo testing.
In a NSW first, patients can opt-in to receive their Covid-19 pathology results via text message.
NSW Health Pathology’s secure automated SMS solution will see the average notification period for results halved, plus ease the pressure on busy hospital and laboratory staff.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said more than 142,000 people had been tested and cleared, making it one of the highest testing rates in the world, and helping to stop the spread of the virus.
“We are able to test 5,000 patients per day, and while testing for COVID-19 only takes 6 to 8 hours from arrival of the sample at one of our specialist labs, the sheer volume has meant we haven’t been able to get results to patients quickly,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“Using our new statewide SMS notification solution, patients who register will receive an automated SMS test result within six hours of the completion of the laboratory test.”
For the latest information on COVID-19 visit nsw.gov.au