Laverty Pathology has told the NSW government that it will scale back opening times for some of its testing sites as it struggles to meet skyrocketing demand.
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Laverty delays are causing havoc in the Hunter as people miss vaccination bookings, are shut in nursing home rooms and cannot go to work while waiting more than five days for test results.
A health professional said on Friday that she knew of an 87-year-old nursing home resident who had been isolated in his room since Sunday while awaiting a Laverty result.
The man travelled to the Mater hospital last weekend for a minor procedure and had to be tested before re-entering the nursing home.
"That means you are locked in your room with no natural light, no fresh air, no people," she said. "I think it's really inhumane, and this needs to be fixed.
"When you keep an elderly person immobile, it's really dangerous. There's lots of risks associated with that."
The health professional said a Laverty representative had told her the company had a backlog of 22,000 tests.
She urged nursing homes not to use Laverty for testing.
Another woman said she had missed her first Pfizer booking at Belmont while awaiting a Laverty result.
"I was feeling a little unwell with a cold on the weekend and had a test at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday at about 3pm," she said.
"I had my vaccine booked for Thursday, and I'd been bumped last week because of sending them all to Sydney for the HSC students.
"I just didn't get my results. Wednesday I started ringing Laverty but just couldn't get through to the phone line."
The woman is scrambling to book another vaccine appointment but has been told she might have to wait until November.
She feared people would be discouraged from being tested and vaccinated.
Port Stephens MP Kate Washington said test delays were "by far the issue causing the most angst" in her electorate.
A NSW Health spokesperson said positive test results were "always immediately reported" to authorities.
"NSW Health can confirm some Laverty Pathology testing sites will reduce hours to ensure they can return results of testing to people as quickly as possible," the spokesperson said.
Almost 280,000 people in NSW were tested on Wednesday and Thursday.
The Newcastle Herald attempted to contact Laverty for comment.
Hunter New England Health district recorded just five new cases on Friday, after 24 the day before, bringing the tally in the latest outbreak to 82.
HNEH public health controller Dr David Durrheim said 82 was a "relatively small" number, but the testing delays could be masking the size of the outbreak.
He said it was "good for us to realise" that most of the cases were linked to known sources of transmission.
"It gives us some sense of a glimmer of hope," he said.
"Clearly too early to say we've turned a corner, and we know that some of the lag on laboratory times might mean there are still cases in the system that we haven't yet been alerted to."
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Dr Durrheim said one pathology firm was sending swabs interstate to try to speed up the flow of results.
"We all have to be patient, and I thank you for your forbearance in what is a challenging time," he said.
NSW Shadow Health Minister Ryan Park called on the state to introduce a support payment for those in isolation waiting for test results.
Victoria has introduced a $450 payment to encourage casuals and those without appropriate leave benefits to get tested and self-isolate while awaiting results.
"For people who are in insecure work, or who have little to no sick leave, missing a few days of work to isolate is the difference between being able to put food on the table and pay bills," Mr Park said.
"We don't want any disincentives for people to not get tested and isolate."
Unions NSW said national cabinet should make paid isolation and testing leave a universal right for workers.
NSW recorded 390 new cases on Friday. An unvaccinated woman in her 40s died in south-western Sydney.
The five new HNEH district cases were spread evenly across Lake Macquarie, Newcastle, Maitland, Port Stephens and Armidale.
NSW has 391 COVID-19 cases admitted to hospital, including 64 in intensive care and 30 on ventilators.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said NSW was on track for 70 per cent of adults being fully vaccinated by the end of October and 80 per cent by mid-November, vaccination levels which would trigger easing of restrictions.
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