Wales enters new phase as positive tests now down to 1% – health minister
HEALTH Minister Vaughan Gething has announced that Wales is entering a “new phase” of the coronavirus pandemic.
During the latest daily briefing in Cardiff, he said coronavirus was no longer as prevalent in our communities as it was just a few weeks ago.
At the peak in April and May, he said, some 43% of tests processed were positive but this had fallen to around 1% by early July.
The minister added that Wales had now developed an “effective testing system that stretches the length and breadth of Wales”.
“This means that if you need a test, you can get a test. Quickly and easily,” he said.
“This testing infrastructure, our contact tracing system and support from everyone living in Wales is fundamental to successfully controlling the transmission of the virus.
“We need everyone who shows symptoms, no matter how mild, to get a test and follow advice to selfisolate.
“This will support us to come out of lockdown, prevent a second peak, and live with the disease until a vaccine or effective treatment is available.”
Mr Gething also set out the nation’s new testing strategy.
Over the past three months, the Welsh Government and Public Health Wales (PHW) have worked
together to build a national testing infrastructure.
Ministers said that meant anyone who displays coronavirus symptoms can get a test “quickly and easily”.
The new strategy builds on the latest scientific evidence, the Welsh Government said, and focuses on four priority areas:
■ Contact tracing – to prevent the spread of the disease among the wider population;
■ delivering NHS services – to support the safety of staff and patients;
■ protecting vulnerable groups – to safeguard groups at greater risk of Covid-19; and
■ developing future delivery – to use surveillance and new technologies to improve understanding of the virus.
There are currently two different forms of testing in Wales: the antigen virus detection test, which shows if someone currently has the virus, and the antibody test, which is used to determine whether or not a person has been previously infected.
The new strategy also looks at the role and purpose of asymptomatic testing and determines that this will continue to be used where there is the greatest risk – such as among our older populations and health and care workers.
It has also been confirmed the weekly testing programme for care homes will continue for another four weeks, with the data on prevalence rates closely monitored.
If prevalence rates remain at the current low levels the testing cycle will move to fortnightly.
Mr Gething said: “This strategy sets out the way forward for testing as we emerge from lockdown, with the prevalence of Covid-19 reducing from the peak we saw just a few weeks ago. It also makes preparations for a possible second wave of coronavirus in the autumn.
“We now have a national testing infrastructure that means anyone who needs a test can access one.
“This enables our contact tracing system to help control the transmission of the disease as lockdown measures are eased.
“Our NHS Wales Test, Trace, Protect service is fundamental to helping us to find a way to live with the disease until a vaccine or treatment is available.
“There are still areas where we know we need to improve and we are working hard to ensure more test results are returned within 24 hours.
“Over the weeks and months ahead, we’ll make the most of new testing technologies and be ready to seize the opportunities that these offer.”
Most recent figures show there have been 28,763 tests on care home residents, with 95.6% returning negative.
Only three residents tested positive in the last week.
Mr Gething also confirmed there had been particular issues with testing at a lab in Manchester which serves a large part of north Wales.
He said this technical issue had a “material impact” on the turnaround times of tests in Wales.
The minister confirmed the Welsh Government was looking at how to speed up testing, and would have to make some choices, including looking at staff numbers in Welsh labs.
He said more than 30,000 people had taken an antibody test, with a particular focus on healthcare and education staff.
It will also be rolled out to social care and domiciliary staff.
“We think we are going to have a ‘point-of-care’ test in the nearer future that’s been trialled in Cardiff and Vale health board area,” he said.
“It’s a lateral flow device test, which basically means you can do it on something more like a pin prick rather than the need to have someone take a syringe of bloods. It’s a much less invasive test which is easier to administer – and I think that’s really good news.”
The minister said the antibody test was telling them about how far the virus had spread and how many people had actually had it.
However, he said it still didn’t tell them how long immunity lasted and how well it protected people.
Meanwhile, with face coverings in Wales to be compulsory on all forms of public transport from July 27, Mr Gething said it was far from straightforward to apply this rule in other settings such as shops.
The issue has become contentious in recent days after the UK Government said face coverings would become mandatory in shops in England from July 24.
The Welsh Government has so far resisted such a move on this side of the border.
Mr Gething said forcing people to wear face masks in shops is difficult and challenging.
When questioned on the differing approaches yesterday, he said England was seeing difficulties and enforceability was not straightforward.
There were difficulties challenging somebody coming into a shop who wasn’t wearing a face mask, he added.
“Because of course there are a range of exemptions,” he said: “People with breathing difficulties, children as well, so actually you have got to think about a range of those different areas – and that I think is difficult and not straightforward.”
Mr Gething said the position in Wales was: “We have continued to take seriously the advice given by our chief medical officer, but there’s changing scientific evidence around the world and if that evidence were to change, we would happily consider changing our position here, as we have done on a variety of points through the coronavirus pandemic, when the evidence has changed.
“But face coverings are the last tier of measure to take in the sense of protecting all of us.
“It still starts by following that socialdistancing guidance. It’s much more important than wearing a face covering.
“A face covering won’t protect you if you are bumping along with other people, instead of observing that social-distancing guidance and also really good hand hygiene, these are much more effective measures, and also the one-way systems lots of our shops have introduced.”
Mr Gething said if they found themselves in a situation where local lockdowns have to be introduced, they might have to introduce more mask measures.
Asked how he thought the wearing of face masks would be policed on public transport from July 27 onwards, Mr Gething said: “We expect it to be policed by the people who are undertaking the journeys themselves, by both the staff and indeed the public.”
The minister said they had seen a high level of compliance with measures introduced through lockdown and many members of the public supported wearing face coverings.
A taxi driver may not take a fare, or inquire why a person is not wearing a face mask, he said.
“And that is why it highlights that it is difficult. It is difficult,” said Mr Gething.
“People are asthmatic, they have breathing difficulties and may come from other conditions.
“Children and young people, the evidence – the evidence that has allowed us to more fully open schools from September, they wouldn’t need to wear a face covering.
“And we are responding to the reality of cross-border travel and then you can’t simply say that only cross-border trains and buses would need to have a requirement to have face coverings.”