Tamworth COVID-19 pandemic: hospital vaccine hub to close as Laverty drive-through relocated to walk-in site at Taminda

Laverty Pathology has relocated its swabbing station from North Tamworth to a building on the corner of Dampier and Hume streets.

Tamworth Regional Council announced the move on social media, confirming the new site would open to walk-ins from Thursday. Appointments are not needed.

It will operate from 7:30am to 3:30pm on weekdays and from 7:30am to 12:30pm on Saturdays.

Laverty Pathology's drive-through COVID-19 testing tent shifted spots from Plain Street, near the Peel River sports fields, to a North Tamworth carpark in the lead-up the country music festival earlier this year.

Although there are now no drive-through coronavirus screening services in Tamworth, private providers still offer PCR testing, including Douglas Hanly Moir, Tamworth Respiratory Clinic and Laverty Pathology.

Pandemic changes are also under way in the region's hospitals as state-run COVID vaccination hubs close.

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A Hunter New England Health spokesperson said demand had decreased now that 94.9 per cent of NSW residents were double-jabbed.

"We will continue to work with our vulnerable communities to provide outreach vaccination services," the spokesperson said.

"Vaccine providers, including GPs and pharmacists, will continue to provide free COVID-19 vaccinations to the local communities in these areas and staff from the vaccination clinics will transition back to clinical duties."

NSW Health has contingency plans in place if a rapid upscaling is needed to provide additional booster doses or any new vaccine programs, should variants of concern emerge.

The COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Tamworth is expected to close later this month on June 17.

Hubs at both Moree and Armidale hospitals closed for the last time on Wednesday afternoon.

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