Mitchell drive-through COVID testing clinic closes early due to staff shortfall

One of only two drive-through testing facilities in the ACT closed at 4pm on Thursday after staff were redeployed to Canberra Hospital. A small crew distributed rapid antigen tests from the clinic on Thursday afternoon and evening.

The hospital was experiencing high demand while facing its own staff shortages due to COVID-19 and other illnesses, according to health authorities.

ACT Health said the Mitchell drive-through clinic was expected to open at the normal time on Friday.

Nicholls, Lakeview Respiratory Clinic, YourGP@Crace, and Winnunga Nimmityjah Respiratory Clinic are all closed on public holidays, while several other testing facilities will have reduced hours over Easter.

ACT vaccination clinics will also be closed on Friday and over the Easter break.

Canberra Health Services chief operating officer Cathie O'Neill said the ACT government works to alert the community to changes to its services as quickly as possible.

She said dozens of healthcare workers had been unable to attend work every day this month because they or a family member had COVID-19.

"At times, the number has been in the hundreds," Ms O'Neill said.

"The figure varies just as the territory's overall community COVID-19 case numbers do."

The ACT reported 1074 new infections to 8pm on Wednesday, with 5535 active COVID cases in the capital.

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Ms O'Neill said work to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on health services was taking place constantly, but the demand for services was remaining constant as well..

"For the most part, our services continue to operate as normal, with the work to fill shifts happening quietly in the background," she said.

"From time to time, though, a peak in illness among our team members means we need to make changes to the services we can provide.

"When this happens, we seek to move staff from quieter, less acute services to those where the need is greatest.

"We recognise the impact these changes have on the community, and we thank them for their understanding at this challenging time."

Ms O'Neil said since early 2020 Canberra Health Services had boosted the nursing workforce by fast-tracking student nurses into vaccination teams, encouraging retired nurses to return to work, recalling nurses on leave, recruiting nurses from interstate and overseas and using agency and casual staff.

"Recruitment for healthcare workers is constant and will continue in the months and years ahead," she said.

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