A reminder that starting tomorrow,
Saturday, 1 October 2022, patients need a referral for PCR testing for COVID-19 by private pathology providers.
Public COVID clinics offer PCR testing without a referral for people with COVID-like
symptoms and asymptomatic close contacts to meet their testing requirements during isolation.
The public COVID Clinics are at
Joondalup Hospital, PathWest Murdoch drive-through, Rockingham Hospital drive-through and Royal Perth Hospital.
When demand for a PCR
test exceeds capacity at a State-run clinic, people may be provided with a rapid antigen test to do at
home.
WA Health is reminding people to test as
soon as they develop symptoms consistent with COVID-19 because that is when you are most infectious.
Rapid antigen tests (RATs)
are a safe, convenient, and fast way to test for COVID-19.
If people have COVID-like symptoms, they
should take a RAT, which is a safe, convenient, and fast way to test for COVID-19, or PCR test, and isolate
until they receive a negative result.
If they have a negative RAT but are
still worried they may have COVID-19, public health advice is to test again after 24 hours. People who record a
negative COVID-19 test should stay home until their symptoms resolve to prevent spreading illness to
others.
Patients who test positive should follow the instructions on What to do
when you test positive for COVID-19, on the HealthyWA
website.
