During a visit to Wagga Base Hospital on Tuesday, Premier Dominic Perrottet stressed that people need to be more discerning when it comes to getting a PCR test, only presenting if they have symptoms, have been directed to do so by NSW Health, or if they are travelling interstate.

"We are still seeing many people in those queues who do not need to be there and we want to get those queues shorter, we are doing everything we can," he said.

The call comes as testing clinics across the state, including Wagga, face a huge surge in demand for tests, with Murrumbidgee Local Health District staff working to test roughly 500 people at each of its clinics on Monday.

MLHD chief executive Jill Ludford said that people should expect delays at Wagga clinics, urging people to also remain patient with staff.

"I understand people have purchased tickets to go on their long-awaited holiday after a long time of not being able to travel, and we're doing all we can to make sure that we get your test undertaken in a timely way and get the results back as soon as we possibly can," she said.

Mr Perrottet said there are roughly 150,000 PCR tests being processed across the state each day.

He said the number one thing that would help ease the system is for asymptomatic people not to present for testing, urging interstate premiers to rethink the policy requiring travellers to provide a negative PCR test.

"It is clogging up the system [and] it is putting people in lengthy queues that are not necessary," Mr Perrottet said.

"If we can move that PCR requirement to a rapid antigen test requirement, that will significantly relieve some of the pressure on the testing over summer."

Despite past health advice urging people to get tested with the slightest of symptoms, the Premier suggested people now need to be more discerning with PCR tests and should instead opt for a rapid antigen test.

Pharmacies across Wagga have reported selling out of rapid tests by December 23, and are struggling to get stock in for the new year.

Mr Perrottet acknowledged this as being a challenge "right across the state" and said the government has ordered 20 million free tests, set to arrive by the end of January.

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"As we move in to 2022, as we're living alongside the virus [and] taking personal responsibility, rapid antigen tests will be key," he said.

"They're not to be used in circumstances where you're going down to the shops, these tests will be used for people going to high risk settings [such as] hospitals, visiting elderly relatives, going clubbing."

The Premier acknowledged the "exhaustion" facing healthcare workers as they process the high volume of tests, but said he has "complete confidence in the strength of our system" to get through this period.

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