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Coronavirus: Wales 'planning for community coronavirus testing' Coronavirus: Wales target for 5,000 tests a day abandoned
(about 2 hours later)
A community testing and surveillance system will be needed in Wales when the country begins to lift the lockdown, the first minister has said. First Minister Mark Drakeford's strategy for testing has come in for criticism again after he confirmed his government has abandoned a target of 5,000 tests a day by mid-April.
Mark Drakeford told the daily Welsh Government press conference that it is likely people will need to be recruited to help trace and isolate individuals. He said at a press conference that he had given the figure in "good faith".
Plans are being drawn up with the chief medical officer, Frank Atherton. But parts of the Welsh Government's plans had not "turned out to be achievable in practice," he said.
But it comes a day after Mr Drakeford admitted his government's testing system had not been good enough. Plaid Cymru said it was a scandal, while the Tories accused ministers of "piecemeal disorganisation".
On Sunday the first minister confirmed the Welsh Government would not meet its previous target of 5,000 tests a day by mid-April. At the press conference Mr Drakeford declined to set a new target. It comes a day after the first minister admitted his government's testing system had not been good enough and that the 5,000 a day target would not be met.
No date has been given for when the lockdown will end, although it has to be reviewed every three weeks with the next exercise due at the start of May. Despite the hold-ups Mr Drakeford said a community testing and surveillance system will be needed in Wales when the country begins to lift the lockdown.
Mr Drakeford also said ministers were looking at strengthening regulations on people travelling to second homes. No date has been given for when the stay-at-home restrictions will end, although it has to be reviewed every three weeks with the next such exercise due at the start of May.
Ministers are also looking at changing the regulations to enable families with children who have learning disabilities or autism to exercise more than once a day. More detail on this is expected at the end of the week. Mr Drakeford also said ministers were looking at strengthening regulations on people travelling to second homes, and changing the regulations to enable families with children who have learning disabilities or autism to exercise more than once a day.
Mr Drakeford said: "As we begin to lift the lockdown, no matter how carefully and cautiously we do it, it is inevitable the circulation of the virus in the community will grow in some places. More detail is expected at the end of the week.
Wales has so far failed to meet targets for tests per day set by ministers. Following complaints the system was too complicated, the Welsh Government carried out a review to streamline the process.
The country currently has the capacity for 1,300 tests a day, although the capacity has not been fully used.
Mr Drakeford said: "We're not going to get to the 5,000 figure that we had hoped to get to by the middle of this month", he said.
The first minister said he did not want to provide a new target, citing comments from Professor Ceri Phillips from Swansea University saying the number had become a distraction.
Mr Drakeford said: "The advice we had from people who help us develop testing is that we had confidence at that point we could get to 5,000 tests".
"Because there was confidence in the number I thought it was right to share that number.
"As it has happened some of the things we were relying upon to allow us to get to the 5,000 number a day haven't turned out to be achievable in practice, partly because some of those things are outside our own control
"We were relying on equipment coming to Wales from overseas. We were relying on some reagent chemicals coming to Wales from overseas. Those deliveries haven't arrived to the timescale we had hoped."
Military planners are being brought in to help streamline the system.
Although it is not setting a target, Mr Drakeford promised that the number of tests available in the NHS would be made available each week, along with plans to increase the number.
'Community testing and surveillance'
Meanwhile Mr Drakeford set out a path for how Wales will tackle coronavirus once the restrictions ease.
He said: "As we begin to lift the lockdown, no matter how carefully and cautiously we do it, it is inevitable the circulation of the virus in the community will grow in some places.
"What we need then is community testing and surveillance that will allow us to spot those outbreaks quickly and get on top of them quickly through contact tracing and isolation of people who've got the virus.""What we need then is community testing and surveillance that will allow us to spot those outbreaks quickly and get on top of them quickly through contact tracing and isolation of people who've got the virus."
He said there was a "strong likelihood" that people will need to be recruited to be a "presence on the ground", helping to do the job of "spotting, tracing and isolating".He said there was a "strong likelihood" that people will need to be recruited to be a "presence on the ground", helping to do the job of "spotting, tracing and isolating".
They will not "necessarily have to be people with long degrees", he said, suggesting that university students could be a source.They will not "necessarily have to be people with long degrees", he said, suggesting that university students could be a source.
He would not be drawn on whether thousands of people would be needed.He would not be drawn on whether thousands of people would be needed.
Wales has so far failed to meet targets for tests per day set by ministers. Following complaints the system was too complicated, the Welsh Government carried out a review to streamline the process. Plaid Cymru's health spokesman Rhun ap Iorwerth said it was a scandal that the 5,000 tests a day target had been dropped.
The country currently has the capacity for 1,300 tests a day. "Having set ambitious targets early on, that I fully supported, we're now not even seeking to test on the kind of scale that is being targeted elsewhere in these islands," he said.
Mr Drakeford said: "We've strengthened our testing plan following a rapid review - we will be working with the military; both to increase the number of tests and making sure those tests we have available are used". Angela Burns, Welsh Conservative health spokeswoman, said the comments from Mr Drakeford were "concerning".
Explaining that he no longer wanted to give a target, Mr Drakeford cited one expert who believed the number became a distraction. "We were promised 9,000 tests a day by the end of April and over the past few weeks this number has steadily been reduced as a target until there is none," she said.
"We're using military planners to help us to streamline that system as best we can," he said. "Health Boards tell me there is a lack of clarity and there are still no firm plans for consistency of provision throughout Wales. Now is the time for a dedicated team to manage the testing process from start to finish rather than the piecemeal disorganisation we are witnessing now."
"You still have to have safeguards in the system, you've still got to make sure that people turn up at the right place at the right time, have the right test for the right person. And that does take a bit of organising, but we are confident we can do it in a more streamlined way and that will mean more of tests are being taken up."
He promised that the number of tests available in the NHS would be made available each week, along with plans to increase the number.
Decline in admissionsDecline in admissions
The first minister said a decline in the number of new hospital admissions for coronavirus "persisted over the weekend".The first minister said a decline in the number of new hospital admissions for coronavirus "persisted over the weekend".
"I said on Friday that there were signs in our system that the number of people in hospital with Covid-19 has stabilised, and the new admissions for the virus had started to decline," he said."I said on Friday that there were signs in our system that the number of people in hospital with Covid-19 has stabilised, and the new admissions for the virus had started to decline," he said.
"I'm pleased to say that this pattern has persisted over the weekend and that we can take further confidence that the measures we are all taking continue to save lives"."I'm pleased to say that this pattern has persisted over the weekend and that we can take further confidence that the measures we are all taking continue to save lives".
People are observing the lockdown restrictions at a "high level", Mr Drakeford said.People are observing the lockdown restrictions at a "high level", Mr Drakeford said.
However, he added the impact of the virus "remains very real" and the weekend saw "another sad and sombre milestone" when the number of deaths in Wales exceeded 500 for the first time.However, he added the impact of the virus "remains very real" and the weekend saw "another sad and sombre milestone" when the number of deaths in Wales exceeded 500 for the first time.