Pre departure Covid testing for MELB - QLD travel at Christmas

Can anyone provide advice on the best way/place to get a Covid test and result within the 72 hour window for travel to Qld from metro Melbourne (eastern suburbs). Our flight is the morning of Dec 28th so likely need to get tested on Christmas or Boxing Day. Any recommendations for best place to get tested to get results back in time? TIA

Probably need to call around to find out which private path lab is open on Xmas day and how much for the priority test result, details are still scratchy on which lab would be certified provider acceptable to QLD but I would expect they would include bigger labs who interestingly would more likely to have some metro sites open for PCR testing on Xmas day (you can try Boxing Day but it may be tight turnaround)

Even then you would also need to double check that opening hours and testing sites again 7 days prior Xmas day (they would probably change depending on demand)

In some ways you are lucky; try doing that if you live outside metro MEL, on Xmas day

I think the government funded tests will be fine. I think that's what most people will do.

Hopefully we can do one of the govt tests, but I am worried about the turnaround time for the result. I’m anticipating it will be fairly busy around Christmas…..

Not trying to put anyone down but AFAIK the DHHS testing is for those who are symptomatic or close contacts

Under “ Where can I get tested for pre-departure travel? “ at www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/where-get-tested-covid-19

Notice this only made reference to the international travel not domestic, but this may very well change in the next 2 months.

Sure, people may pretend they have symptoms to get tested for free but as some travellers already found out, someone's need for a 72 hrs turnaround time does not mean they will get the results in 72 hrs and an SMS from the DHHS stating negative results may not be good enough for some airlines (running international routes).

Furthermore as I wrote earlier, it is not really clear what kind of results is deemed acceptable to the QLD government (it just says TGA-approved PCR tests) so if I am you I will look at the news come Dec 17 and any distressed travellers turned back or go into quarantine at the Qld border.

Hopefully by then it will be apparent to everyone including the Tassies and (I think) SA how impractical this requirement is.

Anyone can get a test at a Govt run centre, its not just to symptomatic and close contacts, patology centres will tell to you to use one for cases where you are required to get a test within 48 hours from returning to a a state from a hotsp[ot or orange interstate zone. i dont expect we will need to spend the $120-$150 price for these domestic predeparture tests.

Thanks XWu,

I’m also hoping they will scrap the need for pre-departure testing for interstate travel but I don’t think it will happen for a while. Hopefully DHHS will issue guidelines for how they intend pre-departure testing for interstate travel to be implemented.

Thanks gsx,

Good to know. I’m hoping further details about how pre-departure testing for interstate travel will work will be released soon.

Does anyone know if children under 12 will also need to be tested?

I think this will be private testing, and not state funded testing. Why would NSW and VIC health and their taxpayers fund testing based on a QLD entry requirement they have no control over?

Free government pcr tests do no qualify for airline pcr requirements because you need a certificate. You will most likely find that a commercial pathology lab will setup a 60 minute turnaround facility at the international terminals in each state for a fee of $150. This is already the case in Sydney. Just used it 2 weeks ago when leaving.

GoRobin

Thanks for the tip. Thinking of using that for domestic trip so wondering about the services like:

Price

Wait time/queue before actual test

Inside or outside the restriction zone (ie immigration checkpoint)… might sound obvious but to be sure

Of interest, watching a show from overseas, MUC has many onsite services set up by several companies for PCR testing, ranging from 24 hours, 75 mins and 35 mins (the last one costs about AUD 400)

Probably expect most major EU airports would have something similar.

Mind you, looking up the current information for possible trip to SIN, doesn’t seem to have any information on rapid PCR test available at the airport itself so these technology is not automatically available even in major transit hubs like SIN

@moni

TBH I don’t think it’s the DHHS’s job to determine how predeparture testing for travel should occur if they are not on the receiving end.

I don’t think the DHHS is interested in testing asymptomatic pax for compliance to another state’s arrival requirements. At the cost between $100-200 per test (a guesstimate of the contract price, not individual retail), I hardly expect the health department want to foot that bill.

They have been quite clear who they would cover, see www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-05/Factsheet-COVID-19-who-can-be-tested.docx

But yes, there will be some hubs that will test anyone who rocks up for testing but again the DHHS will not be obliged to offer any proper certification for these testing if QLD ask for it.

There has been enough examples of people on social media for the last 12 months complaining that the health departments in VIC and NSW not giving them anything more than SMS notifications of their test results, even when the tests are performed by certified pathology labs, for the purposes of predeparture certification for airlines.

Nevertheless I agree with you about wait-and-see approach, and that you are better off to wait until Dec 17, when some people have don their trip and vent their anger, to give you a proper idea what will be needed. Enough time to call for lab opening hours and locations then

A pathology lab should be able to do it the day before. Technically it can be done in a couple of hours, it is just getting to the front of the queue.

XWu....the pcr test station at Sydney International airport is on the departure level outside in the small carpark opposite 5 min dropoff bays. There is no parking. You need to park in the main parking station. Or you can arrive by train. Price was $150 with a 60 min turnaround. Q depends upon how many flights are checking in at International and if pax hadn't prearranged their tests. I would imagine that if interstate travel required pcr, then the pathology labs will setup similar facilities at domestic terminal. This is a massive money spinner so who wouldn't want to reap this gold mine,!