BY EMILY WILLIAMS
The six remaining COVID-19 testing clinics in the Hunter will be closed by the 13th of May, the New South Wales Government has announced.
The Hunter testing sites impacted include Morisset, Wallsend, Warners Bay, Wickham, Raymond Terrace and Telarah.
High costs and low demand have been cited as the reason for the closures across the state.
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park says the clinics have cost the state between $11 and $12 million this year alone.
"It's money we simply don't have... the money needs to be going into health services across New South Wales," said Mr Park.
The 165 walk-in and drive-through clinics across New South Wales will be replaced by a referral system.
High risk patients will be able to get a PCR referral from their GP to be completed at a pathologist.
The cost of this is not yet clear.
