Motorists have been turned away and told to drive around the block at a Newcastle testing facility, which experienced one-hour wait times on Wednesday.
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Walk-in patients also had to stand in the sun in 28C heat at the Wickham Histopath Pathology Clinic on Honeysuckle Drive.
The line for vehicles was so long that it backed up out of the carpark onto Honeysuckle Drive, disrupting nearby traffic.
Clinic workers told motorists to drive around the block and return to the facility to keep the traffic moving.
Once returning and securing a spot in the vehicle queue, motorists could expect a 45 minute to one hour wait time, meaning the total wait could be well over an hour.
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Meanwhile, pedestrians waited in a long line without any cover on a dry 28C day with similar wait times.
Testing clinics at East Maitland on Brisbane Street and Telarah on Green Street also experienced a high volume of traffic on Wednesday.
NSW Police urged drivers to be patient amid increased demand for testing in Newcastle, Maitland and the Hunter region.
"To avoid increased delays, the community are encouraged to utilise other testing clinics, including Maitland Showground on Bloomfield Street and Woodberry on Kookaburra Parade," the statement said.
"Officers are urging drivers to obey the road rules and assess the delays appropriately."
For a full list of coronavirus testing clinics and locations across Newcastle and Hunter region, visit health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/covid-19/Pages/clinics.aspx
Shivé Prema
I am a video journalist and host of the Newcastle Herald TikTok account! I spend most of my days filming and editing videos but also like to write articles as well. I'm new to Newcastle, so I like to spend my spare time exploring this city and its many beaches.
I am a video journalist and host of the Newcastle Herald TikTok account! I spend most of my days filming and editing videos but also like to write articles as well. I'm new to Newcastle, so I like to spend my spare time exploring this city and its many beaches.
