Coronavirus Testing

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (14:06): My question is to the Premier. Will the Premier consider establishing any additional testing sites in the northern suburbs, in addition to the one mobile testing station that was established at Parafield that has currently experienced significant waits?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:06): I think I just answered that with the previous question. SA Pathology look after this area and, if they come to us with a request to do so, that is exactly and precisely what we will do.

They came to us early enough with the suggestion to have the very first drive-through testing facility here in Australia. We moved with that very quickly. We now have two of those drive-through testing facilities that are very, very well established, plus the ability to pop up additional mobile testing facilities as well as a range of facilities in hospitals and clinics right across metropolitan and country SA. We will continue to work with SA Pathology and the excellent clinicians who have kept South Australia very safe and who have responded very quickly to the need for testing.

Don't forget that, when this coronavirus first broke out, there were only two labs in the entire country that could process these swabs, and South Australia set up in a matter of weeks a very, very high-level testing capability in this state. We are very proud of the work that SA Pathology do and we look very favourably on any requests that they have for us in terms of expanded services.