Effective immediately, public hospital and multi-purpose facility inpatients, healthcare workers and aged-care facilities testing will be prioritised.

People showing symptoms for COVID-19 will also be treated as a priority.

Those identified as close contacts of a confirmed case of COVID-19 will be processed after those priority groups, and we urge patience should they be required to wait after presenting for testing.

COVID-19 testing for travel is not advised at any WNSWLHD facilities as, due to high processing demand, results are unlikely to be available within 72 hours.

Any COVID-19 testing for travel will be only be considered if capacity allows.

This does not apply to clinics operated by external providers and turnaround time at those providers' clinics are also subject to demand.

Anyone who requires COVID-19 testing for travel is advised to present at a clinic operated by an external provider such as Laverty Pathology, Histopath or Barratt & Smith. WNSWLHD cannot guarantee results will be available within 72 hours if tests are conducted by external providers.

Testing is being strictly prioritised to help reduce the strain on WNSWLHD facilities and the NSW Health Pathology laboratories by limiting non-clinical or non-urgent testing within those facilities.

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