New phase of virus testing
A SECOND phase of targeted coronavirus testing has begun in Bridgend as part of a bid to prevent people without symptoms from spreading the virus and anyone who lives, works or studies in the county borough can take part.
A SECOND phase of targeted coronavirus testing has begun in Bridgend county as part of a bid to prevent people without symptoms from spreading the virus.
People who live, work and study in the county borough can now get tested for the virus regardless of whether they have symptoms.
Angela Jones, deputy director of public health at Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, said: “One in three people with coronavirus show no symptoms. Community testing is an important part of our strategy to identify and isolate these asymptomatic cases in our communities.”
Targeted community testing will take place over the next three weeks at sites in Bridgend, Porthcawl, with one having already opened and closed in the Ogmore Valley. The idea of the scheme is to reduce asymptomatic people spreading Covid-19.
The tests are aimed at people aged 11 and over, including anyone who has been vaccinated or recently undergone a test. This is because you can still carry the virus even if you have had a dose of a coronavirus jab.
Bridgend county borough had the lowest coronavirus case rate in Wales in the last seven days with 8.2 people per 100,000, according to figures from Public Health Wales from April 7. Monmouthshire and Powys had the second-lowest rates (10.6) while Cardiff had the highest at 37.3. Before the December lockdown, Bridgend had the secondhighest case rate in the UK at 1,160 cases per 100,000.
The first phase of “targeted community testing” in Wales took place earlier this year in Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taf (all within the Cwm Taf health board area).
In Bridgend, 1,664 tests were carried out, compared with 4,477 in Rhondda Cynon Taf and 1,329 in Merthyr Tydfil. The number of tests is not the same as the number of people tested.
In February, health minister Vaughan Gething said 250,000 workers in high risk public and private businesses would be offered weekly tests.
Ms Jones said: “We know asymptomatic testing works, as our mass testing pilot at the end of the last year was found to have prevented more than 350 cases of coronavirus and saved the NHS more than £10 for every £1 spent.
“We’re not carrying out asymptomatic testing because we’re expecting cases to rise, but because we want to keep them low.
“It’s down to the support and hard work of our communities that case rates are falling.
“To keep rates low, we’d like to encourage everyone living or working in areas where the community testing programme is available to get a free test at their local centre.
“You should visit your local authority’s website for full details on the community testing programme in your area.”
In Bridgend county borough, walk-in centres are open for community testing from 9.30am to 6.30pm on weekdays and 10am to 4pm on weekends. The centres are based at the following sites:
■ Evergreen Hall, Angel Street, Bridgend, CF31 4AD (from Wednesday, April 14, to Tuesday, April 20);
■ Awel-Y-Mor Community Centre, Hutchwns Terrace, Porthcawl, CF36 5TP (from Wednesday, April 21, to Wednesday, April28).
Visitors to the centres will undertake a swab test which is then processed at the premises, with results revealed in 30 minutes.
■ To register, you can download a Covid-19 QR code app via the NHS website.