Hundreds to be tested daily for COVID-19 in south-west Victoria

Even people without cold or flu-like symptoms are being encouraged to come forward and get tested in response to the Premier's calls for 100,000 Victorians to be screened for coronavirus in the next two weeks.

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So far 600 people have been tested for coronavirus in Warrnambool, 150 in Portland and 331 in Hamilton through South West Healthcare, Portland District Health and Western District Health Services.

The number of cases in the south-west was boosted by one with Colac recording its first positive case on Friday, and the rest remaining unchanged with five in Warrnambool, two in Southern Grampians and one each in Moyne, Corangamite and Glenelg.

SWH said it would increase testing at its offsite screening clinic and test around six inpatients a day at its Warrnambool and Camperdown hospitals.

A COVID-19 and influenza-specific unit has also been established at its Warrnambool Mental Health Services to provide specialised care.

Chief executive Craig Fraser welcomed the broadening of testing criteria.

"We've already increased our testing to capture more of our community in the lead up to the May 11 review by the state government," he said.

"Next week we will again increase these numbers and will provide more information to the public on Monday on how to access a new screening initiative we've got planned.

"Our first priority for screening is symptomatic people. Our next priority is asymptomatic people. It will take us a little time to fully ramp-up our system so we ask for your patience if you can't be screened immediately."

Mr Fraser said Warrnambool's six positive cases were linked to personal overseas travel, unlike 140 Victorian cases that still have an unknown source of infection.

SWH infection prevention director Dr Mark Page urged the community to resist the temptation to watch the upcoming May Racing Carnival from the fence-line next week, as was seen at other events in the city this week.

"We know there is still circulating virus and one of the things that may happen is people coming out of our area to our area and we're still not sure if there's asymptomatic spread," he said.

"It runs the risk of transmitting virus to and from people, that would be a real concern to us, seeing the virus take off."

Western District Health Service has expanded its drive-thru coronavirus testing clinic capacity to 150 cars per day in preparation for an influx of people looking to be tested.

Meanwhile Portland District Health has organised pop-up coronavirus testing clinics in the community.

WDHS chief executive Rohan Fitzgerald welcomed the expansion.

"The new testing and screening regime will be an essential tool in combating COVID-19 and will assist authorities to better understand the spread of the virus in communities across Victoria," he said.

"We are very supportive and will be swabbing 'asymptomatic' community members at the Hamilton Base Hospital drive-thru clinic," he said.

The Hamilton drive-thru clinic has screened 488 people and tested 331 since March 13.

PDH chief executive Chris Giles said they would be testing symptomatic people at its fever clinic, asymptomatic emergency service workers at a pop-up clinic in the hospital foyer, and general community members through another pop-up clinic to be set up next Thursday in Portland's CBD.

"Kicking off Monday we're planning to get up to 500 tests done and get a comprehensive sample of the community in three streams," she said.

"The first point to make is anyone with symptoms of respiratory infection needs to arrange to be tested through the fever clinic, the testing blitz is not for people who are sick and we don't want to mix those two groups together.

"Then we've got a stream for healthcare or emergency service workers at the front entrance of the hospital kicking off Monday morning.

"At the end of the week we'll have a pop-up clinic down the CBD Thursday to Saturday where we'll encourage front-line workers, such as those working at supermarkets, bakeries and hardware stores to be tested.

"There's been no community transmission here and we want to know whether we're missing it."

The hospital will also drop in to workplaces across Portland to test around 50 employees a day.

"We'll be targeting a group of industries across Portland to get a sample of the population such as staff at the Port, the smelter, Glenelg Shire and Bupa Aged Care, who have been operating through the lockdown.

"We'll spend a full day at each industry and test around 50 people a day. It will be completely voluntary."

People who are tested and don't have symptoms will not be required to self-isolate.

If people do have any COVID-19 symptoms, or have been overseas, or in contact with a known case, they must self-isolate after testing, with results now available within 48 hours.

Mr Fitzgerald said Victoria was in a fortunate position to offer such a broad based, inclusive program, to support the health and welfare of people during this crisis.

"We are seeing internationally that other jurisdictions are struggling to provide these fundamental programs to better understand the extent of the spread of the virus in their populations.

"This conservative approach will hopefully show us that the community's efforts in applying restrictive lifestyle measures, including social distancing, hand washing and staying at home, have led to very low levels of community spread."

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