COVID testing facilities in Canberra are facing large queues once again as ACT Policing are asking for patience from those lining up.

As of 8am Tuesday 28 December, the Kambah, Mitchell and Garran sites are all at capacity with ACT Health asking people not to block roads.

The Nicholls site was expected to be shut until the new year but is open today due to the extremely high demand in Canberra.

Once again, the ACT are prioritising testing today for people at the highest risk of COVID-19 exposure and those with symptoms at the Garran and Mitchell facilities. Between 11am and 3pm only close and casual contacts, people with symptoms and returned international travellers will be tested.

People who need a test for other reasons can still be tested at Kambah and Nicholls during opening hours.

Kambah is open from 8am to 12pm to test those five and up while Nicholls is open from 8am to 4pm and will test children of all ages.

There has also been a recent push for rapid antigen tests to play a larger role as massive testing queues wreak havoc across Australia.

ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said rapid antigen tests would be better suited for states wanting to test people ahead of travel. 

“Rapid antigen tests aren’t particularly useful when we are targeting … (people) who have been exposed to the virus or who are symptomatic,” she said, noting positive tests would still need PCR confirmation.

“Where they are useful, particularly where they are taken over a number of days, is for that screening purpose.”

Click here for hourly updates on wait times.

Meanwhile, ACT Policing have asked the public to be patient when lining up at a COVID testing facility.

They has attended a number of incidents at testing clinics which is taking away from their priorities elsewhere.

ACT Policing understand that this is an uncertain time, but they are asking all Canberrans to be patient, courteous and follow the instructions of those working in the testing clinics.

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