Shadow Health Minister Angela Burns AM has expressed her concern as the Cardiff City Stadium key worker test centre did not open today (April 13), Easter Bank Holiday Monday.
In a statement made by Public Health Wales, it was reported that the centre remained closed for “… operational reasons”. It was anticipated that low numbers of key workers would be working today.
Mrs Burns said:
“Coronavirus doesn’t respect bank holidays, so there is no valid reason to have kept the centre shut today.
“While I appreciate that resources – especially staff – are stretched now, keeping the doors of a test centre shut on the assumption that few key workers would turn up to be tested is, I think, based on a false premise. In fact, it’s really rather incredible that PHW would have taken this approach.
“And let’s not forget that the tests not carried out today will just add to the burden of tests needing to be taken and then analysed.
“It was only last Friday that a nurse, speaking to the Welsh Conservatives, reported how she had had to wait nearly a week for a test.
“Limiting the amount of days that testing can take place could likely keep either perfectly healthy key workers away from their vital frontline duties, or prevent those with Coronavirus finding out that they are infected and taking the correct steps to get themselves well – and keep others safe.”