Coronavirus: Why is Wales Reducing It’s Testing?

Despite the first national death today, the Welsh Government has defended it’s decision to restrict coronavirus screening to the most symptomatic.

The World Health Organisation calls on national governments to “rapidly detect Covid-19 and any evidence of human-to-human transmission among contacts”, including testing “all confirmed cases and their contacts”.

The Welsh Government said the policy would give the health service “the greater capacity it needs”.

Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price has called on the Welsh Government to increase surveillance testing.

However,  Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board confirmed three drive-through testing centres in the northern part of Wales have been closed as the UK moves into the “delay phase” of its response to the global pandemic.

The centres at Rossett near Wrexham, Llanfairfechan in Conwy and Porthmadog, Gwynedd, are no longer operating.

“This is part of a national decision that has been taken to end routine community testing as the UK moves into the next phase of the response to slow down the spread of Coronavirus,” said a spokesman.

Yesterday included the first cases in Torfaen, Ceredigion, the Vale of Glamorgan and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Denbighshire, Merthyr Tydfil and Gwynedd do not have a recorded case though Public Health Wales said that the residential area of eight of the confirmed cases was still being looked into.

The Welsh government confirmed it’s first death since the outbreak earlier today.

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