A new, dedicated, 24-hour COVID-19 testing facility for truck drivers along key regional freight routes will be set up in the nearby NSW town of Yass from tomorrow.
The heavy vehicle industry has been calling for more dedicated 24-hour testing facilities for trucks along key regional freight routes. In reply, the NSW government has set up two freight-friendly pop-up testing sites, in addition to six sites already set up across the state.
The second new site will be in the Northern NSW coastal town of Ballina, operational on 23 August.
The new sites are supported by onsite pathology staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in contrast to other pop-up sites, where telehealth services instruct freight workers to carry out self-testing.
According to the National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) CEO Warren Clark, efficient transportation of resources is the backbone of any functional society.
According to NatRoad, freight workers are unable to wait for their test results after being tested, as results can take up to 48 hours, and instead must get back on the road. Hence many are subject to rolling tests for COVID-19.
As of 19 August, Transport NSW states that freight workers arriving in NSW from interstate must be tested on a rolling seven-day basis. Freight workers living in Greater Sydney must also be tested on a rolling seven-day basis, while freight workers living in the Canterbury-Bankstown area must have a test once every 72 hours to leave their locale for work.
Mr Clark urged other states to follow suit of NSW in recognising the needs of the heavy vehicle industry.
With numerous reports of freight workers suffering physically from the amount of testing, NatRoads hopes for further developments in testing facilities in the future.
“We remain hopeful that National Cabinet will consider standardised border pass measures when it meets today. We want to see regulatory barriers removed to the use of rapid antigen testing kits, as well as developing faster turnaround times for current test analysis,” said Mr Clark.
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