When the clinic first opened at the Cowra Showground this morning residents wishing to be tested were lined up but by lunch time numbers had slowed to a trickle.

The clinic continues today and again on Saturday and Sunday.

The clinic will be held 10am till 3pm each day with entry via Hartley Street then Showground Lane.

Exit will be via left turn only on to Grenfell Road.

Testing is free and no appointment or referral is required, with all ages welcome.

Western NSW Local Health District Chief Executive Scott McLachlan is encouraging Cowra residents to get tested.

"Please, community of Cowra, don't hesitate, come and get a test," Mr McLachlan said.

"If you don't have symptoms, come and get a test.

"If you do have symptoms don't leave the house and go anywhere else, come and get a test.

"It's one of the most crucial things we can do at the moment to get ahead of the potential spread of COVID in Cowra."

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Mr McLachlan said testing would continue at Cowra every three days with a turnaround time of 48 hours.

"What it absolutely means is there's been someone in the community with COVID," Mr McLachlan said.

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