Slump in virus testing as spread of infection soars
THE number of people being tested for Covid-1 in Scotland has plummeted since the start of the month, despite concerns about the rapid spread of the virus.
Fears have been voiced that failings on screening earlier in the pandemic are being repeated amid the prospect of a second wave over autumn and winter.
Ministers have also been criticised for delays on care home staff testing, with claims some have to wait up to a week to get results.
The latest Scottish figures show that in the seven days to yesterday, 36, 71 people received their first test result. This is a 61 per cent fall on the 5,780 in the seven days to September 1.
Total tests carried out – including repeat screenings for key workers such as NHS and care home staff – fell from 158,063 in the seven days to September 1 to 108,370 in the week to yesterday. This is despite positive results soaring to a record 486 on Wednesday.
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said there was ‘falling public confidence’ in the system’.
He added: ‘I also detect there is an issue with the testing of workers in care homes, which we have always said has got to be the absolute priority because they are going in and out of an environment where the most susceptible and vulnerable part of the population is.
‘I’m not convinced they are getting timely access to the testing they have been promised and that they need. That is a big cause of concern if there is going to be a second wave.’ The Mail revealed last week care home staff faced waits of up to ten days for results.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘The number of tests carried out will fluctuate according to demand and how many people come forward with symptoms, just as the number of positive results will go up and down.
‘However, it is essential to have reserve capacity in case of local outbreaks or a resurgence of the virus.
‘We’ve been seeking to build winter capacity, which we anticipate to be higher than the demand we’re seeing now, and continue to work towards the target in our testing strategy of building laboratory processing capacity to approximately 65,000 tests a day.’