Four of WA’s largest COVID-19 testing clinics are set to close the store in a few weeks, WA Health has revealed.
Public clinics at Fiona Stanley Hospital, Armadale Health Service, St John of God Midland Public Hospital and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital are scheduled to close on 15 July.
Health officials say the decision to close the clinics was made due to falling demand for PCR testing and the number of COVID-19 cases in the community continues to decline.
“The closures will allow nurses and the rest of the staff working at these clinics to return to their normal duties,” a statement read on Healthy WA’s Facebook page.
Camera IconLong queues for COVID testing at Fiona Stanley Hospital late last year. Credit: The West Australian / The West Australian
He said where a public COVID-19 clinic has closed, free PCR tests would still be available from another testing center in the area.
In the early days of the pandemic in WA, hundreds of people lined up for hours outside public clinics, sometimes with stifling heat, to get tested.
But with the introduction of rapid antigen testing and overcoming the current Omicron wave peak, the demand for PCR testing has decreased.
Deserted Camera Icon: The public COVID 19 testing clinic at Fiona Stanley Hospital is scheduled to close. Credit: Michael Wilson / The West Australian
A total of 6,990 PCR tests were performed on Thursday at public or private pathology clinics.
WA reached a pandemic peak of 17,105 cases daily on May 19, with a steady drop in infections since then.
WA’s daily COVID cases dropped to 4,749 on Friday, from 5,351 on Thursday.
Brings the WA active load to 28,448.
The number of people hospitalized dropped to 239 patients, with eight in intensive care.
Friday’s COVID case figures include one death, an 80-year-old man, dating back to June 17th. His death brings the death toll from the pandemic to 364.
Find out where you can take a COVID-19 test here.