A clinic testing people with risk factors for COVID-19 will open at Gosford Hospital next Monday 16 March 2020 and Wyong Hospital on Tuesday 17 March 2020.
The Gosford clinic, located at 75 Holden Street, is adjacent to the P2 car park. The Wyong clinic is located at Building C, opposite the Health Services Building. This is part of the District’s ongoing response to diagnose and slow any spread of COVID-19 in the community.
Both clinics will operate seven days a week – 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, and 10am to 4pm on weekends.
People who have developed cold and/or flu-like symptoms who have returned from overseas in the last 14 days or are a contact of a confirmed case, should be tested for COVID-19 and should contact their GP or call Healthdirect on 1800 022 222 for advice in the first instance.
People who have returned from China, Iran, Italy or South Korea, or have had close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 but are well, should self-isolate at home for 14 days and seek treatment only if they develop symptoms.
People advised by their GP or Healthdirect to undergo COVID-19 testing have an option to attend a number of testing centres on the Central Coast. Should people wish to attend our Gosford or Wyong clinics they need to call ahead to book an appointment. Anyone who attends the clinic without a booking may be asked to wait, or may be instructed to go home and return for an appointment. This is to minimise waiting times and the risk of infection to others.
The Gosford COVID-19 clinic can be contacted from 9am, Monday 16 March 2020 on 4320 5055. Contact details of the Wyong COVID-19 clinic will be provided on Monday.
People who present with no symptoms or risk factors may be reassured that testing is not required and advised they can return home.
A one-stop website with information and advice for the community and health professionals is available at:
www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/diseases/Pages/coronavirus.aspx
This website is updated daily and includes Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 and the best ways for the community to protect themselves and their families.
In line with this, people are urged to exercise good prevention practices – including staying home and away from other people if you are unwell with respiratory symptoms; following sneezing and coughing etiquette by covering coughs and sneezes with your elbow or coughing into a tissue and disposing of it; and cleaning your hand regularly throughout the day with soap and running water for 20 seconds or using an alcohol-based hand rub.