Locke Street to remain closed for Covid testing

The road outside Warwick Hospital will be closed for the foreseeable future for Covid testing.

By Dominique Tassell

The section of Locke Street in front of Warwick Hospital will remain closed for the foreseeable future, Darling Downs Health (DDH) has confirmed.

The road has been closed for some time now to make room for a Covid-19 testing clinic.

A DDH spokesperson stated that “Covid-19 testing helps us to quickly find as many cases in the community as possible and our drive-through clinic at Warwick Hospital has helped meet the increased demand for testing”.

“The demand is expected to continue as we head into the cooler months, so we appreciate the community’s understanding while access to Locke Street is temporarily restricted.

“We’ll be reviewing the demand for this drive-through clinic over the coming months with plans to wrap up testing outside Warwick Hospital when it’s no longer needed.

“Access to Locke Street will then be made available.

“Behind the scenes, there’s been ongoing consultation with stakeholders including Southern Downs Regional Council who are supportive of the current site which is greatly appreciated.

“We’d also like to thank our hardworking staff at the Warwick testing clinic for their extraordinary efforts in helping reduce the spread of Covid-19.

DDH was asked why the road outside is required to be closed as previous testing sites have not required this.

The DDH spokesperson stated that access to Locke Street at the same location was also restricted for previous Covid-19 testing clinics.

Testing clinics held last year used the McCarthy House driveway instead of closing the road.

A Council spokesperson stated that “the Queensland Government has approved an extension of the declared public health emergency for a further 90 days until 22 September 2022”.

“Council will continue to work closely with the Queensland Government to ensure continued good community health including safe access to the public Covid-19 testing site at the Warwick Hospital to protect the community.

“A small section on Locke Street in front of the hospital remains restricted due to the placement of temporary testing infrastructure.”