Five weeks pregnant and struck down with COVID-19 symptoms, Lucy Jennings spent several days desperately trying to get a PCR test.
She was deemed a close contact on 23 December but as her symptoms worsened over Christmas, she struggled to get tested with long lines snaking around COVID-19 clinics.
Ms Jennings has since tested positive for COVID-19 through two rapid antigen tests. But she said following the NSW Health guidelines to get a PCR test if you exhibit symptoms for the virus has been near "impossible".
“I gave up on Christmas Day after driving around Sydney [and] finding two centres listed as open to be closed,” Ms Jennings told SBS News.
“One of the lines was out of control so we ditched it and two more [sites] we were turned away from.”
Ms Jennings said she was considering visiting a walk-in clinic on Boxing Day until she saw the line stretching down the highway and posts on social media discussing a two to three-hour wait in the sun.
After several days of trying as she suffered punishing symptoms, she was finally able to get tested on Monday following a three-hour wait at a Sydney clinic.
Source: Getty Images
Ms Jennings believes testing sites are being “clogged up” by interstate travellers from Queensland and Tasmania who need to receive a negative PCR test to enter the states.
“We arrived [to the testing site on Monday] an hour early and there were about two lines of about 50 cars in front of us," she said.
“Hopefully it improves. It just seems really poorly planned.”
States under pressure to review PCR test requirement
South Australia announced on Sunday it will scrap the requirement for interstate travellers to produce a negative PCR test result within 72 hours of arrival.
But testing requirements remain in place for travellers arriving in Queensland and Tasmania.
Jakomi Mathews said his honeymoon to Queensland almost didn't go ahead after he waited more than 60 hours for his negative PCR test result.
The Sydneysider said he feels lucky he made it into the state, with the wait time for test results blowing out to between 48 and 72 hours, and some waiting even longer.
However, he said the uncertainty and delays in testing caused him and his wife a great deal of stress.
Source: SBS Filipino/R Masinag
“My wife and I both got our tests at the same time. She got hers back within 25 hours and I was still waiting, stressed out on Christmas Day, for my test,” he told SBS News.
“I waited three hours to get tested and had to take a half-day off work which I don’t get paid for because I’m a contractor."
Mr Mathews said despite “doing the right thing” and getting tested, no one checked his negative PCR test result when he arrived at Cairns airport to begin his honeymoon in Port Douglas.
"So many people have been stuffed around like this, it's just ridiculous," he said.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has rebuffed growing criticism that mandatory PCR tests for interstate arrivals are placing strain on testing clinics in NSW and Victoria.
“Everybody knew when they booked a ticket to come here that they would have to adhere by having that PCR test. It was absolutely laid out in concrete,” Ms Palaszczuk said on Sunday.
“Now that we have had 400,000 border passes, we need to make sure that we are still protecting Queenslanders.”
Victorian Health said about one-quarter of its PCR testing was for interstate travel, while NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said the "tourism tests" were delaying PCR results.
"It just puts more pressure on the [health] system. We don't have that in place in NSW and we don't believe it's appropriate it to be in place in other states,” he told reporters on Sunday.
Ms Palaszczuk last week downplayed the burden testing requirements were placing on other states, claiming just 10 per cent of NSW’s tests are for people wanting to come into Queensland.
“We are happy to get some further advice from AHPPC [Australian Health Protection Principal Committee] about rapid antigen tests,” she said last Wednesday.
“If this is approved, we may be able to utilise them in the New Year from 1 January.”
Source: SBS Filipino/R Masinag
She said over coming days, the testing capacity will be increased at Metro North, Metro South, the Gold Coast and Cairns.
A decision will be made in the next 24 to 48 hours on whether the requirement for PCR tests will be changed so that rapid antigen tests will suffice.
But travellers like Mr Mathews are now questioning whether they will return to Queensland in the future after all the stress and uncertainty they have endured.
“What's the point of going through the stress of trying to come to Queensland?” he said.
“I’m disappointed by the government and the infighting between states. Why don’t we have one united front?”