The two-week COVID-19 testing blitz on people not showing symptoms across Western Australia has ended with no positive cases detected.
The opportunity for people from identified groups to be tested for COVID-19 produced further evidence that there are no undetected cases COVID-19 in the community.
HBF has committed $2.5 million to the project. HBF's contribution covers the full costs of DETECT Snapshot and will provide investment in other COVID-19 related research and innovation projects.
Between Thursday May 28 and Wednesday June 10, 2020, healthcare workers, WA Police staff, school staff, meat workers, and retail, hospitality, transport and tourism industry employees not displaying symptoms of COVID-19 were invited to undergo a swab test for the virus.
As part of the program 18,409 people stepped forward for testing and all tested negative, with the breakdown of major cohorts as follows:
- 11,192 health care workers (61%);
- 2,197 school staff (12%);
- 1,852 retail workers (10%);
- 925 hospitality workers (5%); and
- 875 meat workers (5%);
WA Police staff, transport workers and tourism industry workers accounted for under 5 per cent each.
The median age of people tested was 47 years, and 72 per cent were female.
Just over three quarters of participants reside in the metropolitan area.
The program was a major co-ordinated effort by public and private pathology providers PathWest, Australian Clinical Labs, Clinipath, and Western Diagnostic Pathology, to offer as many opportunities as possible within the two-week window.
Testing was offered at more than 100 clinics, drive-through facilities, and pop-up clinics across the State, and on-site testing was facilitated at nearly 200 businesses.
As stated by Health Minister Roger Cook:
"DETECT Snapshot has been an outstanding success thanks to the 18,409 workers who took time out to undergo swab testing and help us get a better understanding of whether any COVID-19 was present, but undetected, in our community.
"Finding no positive cases is extremely encouraging and we will continue to test asymptomatic members of our community through other DETECT research projects.
"The McGowan Government is extremely grateful to HBF, our State's largest private health fund, for contributing to this important public health testing program which reassures us all of no sustained community transmission as we move forward under Phase 3 restrictions."
