Showground COVID testers praise Orange community for kind gestures

It was late last week and the team had been testing from 8am. It was about 2pm in the afternoon when one of the ladies noticed some flowers sat on the passenger seat of one of the cars lined up.

"The woman said they were for us and that she 'just wanted to say thank you and let you know we appreciate all your hard work and the fact you are out here day in day out providing services to make sure we're safe'," Ms Morton said of the encounter.

"When it's such an uncertain and scary time for people, just little gestures like that when the world is in turmoil it makes you realise there are some kind-hearted people out there and it just makes knowing what you're doing worth-while."

And while there have been stories from all across the state, and even in Western NSW of people acting poorly to those giving their time to help the community, Ms Morton says that hasn't been the case in Orange.

"I could say 99.99 per cent of the people are extremely thankful of what we're doing and completely understanding in this time and been extremely polite," she said.

"I can honestly say that I've worked down there at the showground on and off and I have not seen any negativity at all."

"I think everyone understands that everyone is in the same predicament and realise that we are here to help them. There's been no nastiness, no negativity, an angst or anything like that."

The showground testing clinic is run by Laverty Pathology with assistance from NSW Health.

"The majority of us are employed elsewhere within the district either within health of within Laverty, so it's a combined work down there. It's a good joint teamwork that happens down there," Ms Morton added.

"I would just like to say that we appreciate that they know that we're here and providing the service and we are thankful for the support that we've been given.

"Just come on down and get tested because we're here to help out and protect our communities. We're all here as one and we have to work together to protect each other."

Testing is open at the site from 8am to 4pm.

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