South Australia's first mobile coronavirus testing clinic has opened at Bordertown in the state's south-east, offering free tests to truck drivers crossing the border.
SA Pathology's clinical services director, Tom Dodd, said the testing station was opened on Thursday.
He said since the opening about 35 drivers, with and without symptoms, had opted for a swab.
"These are regular truck stops and the truck drivers have got the option to take the opportunity to go and get a swab," Dr Dodd said.
"They don't need any request forms and they can just come over to test point, get a swab and get on their way."
Transport workers were identified among several groups for COVID-19 testing as part of the state's Active Testing Surveillance Framework.
"We're looking to test anyone with symptoms … and obviously truck drivers are an important group [which moves] between the various states and interacts with various groups of people," Dr Dodd said.
"So we thought we'd make it nice and convenient for them to be able to get a swab."
Industry says drivers pose low risk
SA Road Transport Association executive, Steve Shearer, said drivers posed a low risk for transmitting COVID-19.
"And that's because our truck drivers, when they cross borders, unlike other people who move around border communities, are very isolated," he said.
Mr Shearer said the industry had implemented safe hygiene practices from the start of the pandemic.
"We don't even pass paperwork across — it's all done electronically," he said.
Mr Shearer said getting tested at the mobile clinic was voluntary, with results sent directly to the driver within 24 hours.
"So a truck driver who wishes to can pull up, go and see the SA Pathology people and very quickly have a test," he said.
Contacts recorded
Since May 11, drivers crossing state borders have also been required to keep records of anyone they came into contact with for 14 days, including anyone they shared an enclosed space with.
Mr Shearer said this had created a significant amount of extra paperwork, especially for drivers crossing borders multiple times a week.
"That means, for as long as this crisis lasts, the truckies have to take these paper records, which other groups who cross the border, like people who live in Bordertown and Mount Gambier, don't have to keep," he said.
"From a medical point of view, that actually doesn't make any sense to us at all because viruses don't know you're a truck driver or a citizen of Bordertown.
"But we're doing our part, we're keeping the records, we just think we need to see consistency on all those sorts of things."
The mobile testing clinic will move to Tailem Bend in the coming weeks.
