Assessment centres have been established at 19 Victorian hospitals. You don’t need to call ahead if you attend one of the following clinics:
The Alfred Hospital Albury Wodonga
Austin Hospital
Ballarat Base Hospital
Barwon Health – Geelong
Bendigo Hospital
Box Hill Hospital
Casey Hospital
Echuca Hospital
Kyneton District Health
Monash Clayton
Northern Hospital
Peninsula Health – Frankston
Phillip Island Health Hub
The Royal Children’s Hospital
The Royal Melbourne Hospital
St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne
Sunshine Hospital
Wonthaggi Hospital
Patients who have symptoms compatible with COVID-19 may present to these assessment centres.
It is critical that clinicians limit testing to patients who meet the suspected case definition and use only one swab when testing.
1. Confirmed case
A person who tests positive to a validated SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid test or has the virus identified by electron microscopy or viral culture.
2. Suspected case
A. If the patient satisfies both clinical and epidemiological criteria, they are classified as a suspected case:
Clinical criteria:
Fever
OR
Acute respiratory infection (for example, shortness of breath or cough) with or without fever
AND
Epidemiological criteria:
International travel in the 14 days before the onset of illness
OR
Close contact in the 14 days before illness onset with a confirmed case of COVID-19
B. If the patient has severe community-acquired pneumonia (critically ill*) and no other cause is identified, with or without recent international travel, they are classified as a suspected case.
*Critically ill means requiring care in ICU/HDU, or for patients in which ICU care is not appropriate, respiratory or multiorgan failure. Clinical judgement should be exercised considering the likelihood of COVID-19.
C. If any healthcare worker with direct patient contact, residential care worker, or aged care resident has a fever (? 37.5) AND an acute respiratory infection (e.g. shortness of breath, cough, sore throat), they are classified as a suspect case.
Cases meeting the suspected case definition for COVID-19 must be tested. Only suspected cases who are in a high risk categories (healthcare workers and residential aged care workers or residential aged care residents) and confirmed cases need to be notified to the department as soon as practicable by calling 1300 651 160, 24 hours a day.
These assessment centres are super busy so ensuring you meet the criteria for testing is crucial.
Please visit https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus-covid-19-daily-update for all your most up to date information and to check if you should be tested.
