Angela Burns AM – the Shadow Minister for Health – has expressed her dismay at the Welsh Government’s decision to drop Covid-19 (Coronavirus) testing targets.
She was speaking in a virtual Plenary session just days after it was revealed that as little as 700 tests have been carried out each day in Wales despite a previously-set daily target of 9,000 tests by the end of April.
She said:
“I am concerned, deeply concerned, about the decision to drop the targets for testing.
“As the First Minister said in his earlier statement, we're in this for the long haul, and I think that testing is such an important area.
“I think you can tell it's an important area, because it's been raised today by so many other people. I think it is vital that if we are to emerge from lockdown with the chances of a second or third spike being really suppressed we need to have a very strong testing regime.
She said that the Health Minister had stated that testing was his number one priority, only to say the following day that PPE was his number one priority.
Mrs Burns added:
“I urge you, Minister, to considering giving this to a team that can really focus in it and deliver it, because it's going to be such a vital strategy for us to move forward.”
Speaking later, Mrs Burns said:
“Welsh Conservatives, and I am sure other from across the parties, have listened to the Health Minister’s responses today with an increasing level of dismay and concern.
“Testing is absolutely critical to understanding Coronavirus, to treating people with Coronavirus, and to – eventually – defeating Coronavirus.
“This is why I have reiterated my call for there to be an identifiable lead who can deliver on a Wales testing programme.
“As I said in Plenary, we need this not just today, but in the months to come, if we are to defeat the pandemic."