Residents in the COVID-hit Victorian town of Shepparton are turning out to local testing sites in their thousands as part of the outbreak's peak day 13 period.
There is 125 cases linked to the Shepparton outbreak, which kicked off almost a fortnight ago and landed an estimated 20,000 people in isolation.
Extra resources have been sent to the town to cope with the influx, brought on by about 4000 people seeking day 13 testing on Thursday.
Most are students and teachers from schools caught up in the outbreak.
Schools and year levels were allocated specific testing times to prevent delays, but sites quickly reached capacity on Thursday morning before wait times improved.
Goulburn Valley Health reported 2500 tests had been completed to midday.
Teacher Amber Bock, 27, and firefighter Daniel Dimattina, 29, were among those tested in the region after joining one of the queues at 6am on Thursday to beat the rush.
Testing opened about 8.30am and it took about an hour to get their swabs.
Ms Bock and Mr Dimattina have been stuck in isolation since August 20 after Ms Bock's housemate - a teacher at Greater Shepparton Secondary College - was identified as a primary close contact.
Mr Dimattina, who lives in Reservoir, was visiting his Shepparton-based fiancee and was about to return to Melbourne when informed they needed to isolate.
While only primary close contacts require day 13 testing, both fronted up so they can return to work.
Ms Bock is one of about 10 teachers at Numurkah Secondary College who have also had to isolate, despite no cases being linked to the school.
She said staff shortages across supermarkets, cafes and other businesses had put Shepparton under "intense strain", and many of her school's students were struggling with remote learning.
"We've got about 260 students but probably about 50 per cent engagement online," Ms Bock said.
"We've had to give internet dongles to families, or maybe there's five kids in the family and only one laptop."
Day 13 testing is expected to free thousands more people in the Goulburn Valley region from isolation, further easing staffing pressures.
But all must return a negative result and wait to be formally notified by the health department before they can leave isolation.
Acting Chief Health Officer Ben Cowie told reporters on Thursday more resources were being sent to Shepparton and Bendigo to help with testing.
"There are thousands of tests to be done, and if someone doesn't get their day 13 test done on day 13, it can be done on day 14, it doesn't trigger an extension to the isolation or quarantine," he said.
Prof Cowie also noted there had not been a high rate of transmission in most of regional Victoria, even when cases have popped up in places such as Echuca and Traralgon.
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