Lines at a 24-hour COVID-19 testing hub in Sydney's south-west have been growing overnight as new rules for essential workers take effect from today.
The scene has been described as "chaos", with cars which started banking up at the drive-through testing clinic at Fairfield Showgrounds last night.
Essential workers are now required to get tested every three days and prove they have a negative result if they live in Fairfield and have to leave that LGA for work.
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Since about 2am, a sea of brake lights has been growing continuously at the location as workers rush to get tested so they can keep working during Sydney's extended lockdown.
Lines are already stretched for kilometres, and those sitting in their cars are looking at waits of up to eight hours.
Once the first three days is done, they will have to line up and do it all again.
People lined up this morning have told Today they have already been queuing for several hours.
Fairfield Mayor Frank Carbone expressed his frustration to Today, saying the three-day testing rule was poorly planned.
"It's chaos. These are people that want to get tested, these are doctors, nurses, people that help our community," Mr Carbone told Today.
"I think that the mandated plan where people need to get tested two times a week, once every three days, was very badly thought out."
Mr Carbone said he had complaints from members of his community who wanted to get tested but couldn't afford to wait six hours in a queue.
He called for more testing clinics and vaccines in the area.
"It's unfortunate that the government has done this. I don't think they understood the magnitude of it and I don't think they understood the amount of essential workers we have in Fairfield," he said.
"If this is the medical emergency the government is saying, we need support."
The change to testing rules for the Fairfield area was announced yesterday after NSW recorded 89 new local coronavirus cases.
Those subject to the new testing rules will not be required to isolate while waiting for their results unless they have symptoms.
Anybody moving between Greater Sydney and regional NSW for work must get a weekly COVID-19 test.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said even with the new rules for essential workers coming into effect from midnight, people in Fairfield should only leave that LGA if it absolutely essential for work.
"In regards to people who are currently residents in the local government area of Fairfield, the first message is please don't go outside the Fairfield local government area, even if you consider your work is essential, rethink that," he said.
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"But if it really is essential, then you must - if you're leaving - you must have a test every three days to be able to again present that evidence."
Mr Hazzard said authorities would like those affected people to get tested immediately.
NSW Police can demand the test result of someone who leaves the Fairfield LGA but said they would show a "respectful approach".
"Obviously the police will exercise the same respectful approach in the next few days to making sure that we don't cause people unnecessary problems in needing to get that test immediately but certainly we would like it to be done immediately," he said.
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NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the meaning of essential work remained hard to define but authorities relied on people showing common sense.
"It is so difficult, as Minister Hazzard has said, it is so, so difficult to have a precise rule for every single thing," she said.
"That is why we rely on common sense.
"We rely on people to respect the intent of the health orders as well as the letter of the health orders."
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