2. Statement by the First Minister: Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 1:44 pm on 22 April 2020.

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Photo of Paul Davies Paul Davies Conservative 1:44, 22 April 2020

Thank you, Llywydd. Can I thank the First Minister for his statement this afternoon? And can I echo your comments, First Minister, and convey my condolences to those families who have lost loved ones during this pandemic?

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be felt by families, communities and businesses across the country, it is vital that no stone is left unturned in identifying the threat and treating those who have been affected as soon as possible. The Welsh Government's announcement of a rapid review into Wales's testing system is a crucial step forward, not only to see where problems are arising in terms of administering the tests, but also in terms of making the process around it far more efficient. I appreciate that the health Minister will be making a statement on some of these issues later, but you are, of course, responsible for the overall Government strategy, therefore can you tell us what initial findings have been made from the Welsh Government's rapid review and what sort of timescales have been put in place to see any new changes to the system? We know that the target of 5,000 tests a day was not met by mid April, and it's very clear that nowhere near 9,000 tests will be taking place by the end of this month as originally promised. In fact, we know that on some days, far less than 1,000 tests a day have been carried out. So, to be blunt, First Minister, why are so few tests actually taking place and why has the Welsh Government failed to meet its targets, because it's important our key front-line workers are tested as quickly as possible in order to keep them safe? It's clear that there is capacity in the system that's just not being used to test key front-line workers, and community testing centres and drive-in centres across Wales are still not all fully operating. Therefore, can you tell us when you anticipate the opening of all testing centres for key workers so that we can at least get an idea of when testing will be taking place in all parts of Wales?

Now, at the start of this pandemic, I raised the importance of reaching those living and working in social care settings, and you made reference to this in your statement today, and it is regrettable that more hasn't been done earlier to tackle the impact of coronavirus in care homes across Wales. At the time, you said that there was a particular challenge in Wales, because the sector is dominated by small owners of one or two residential care homes, and so getting messages out to people is a bigger challenge when you have large numbers of people involved and people who may not necessarily be as attuned to dealing with demands as large companies, who are well set up and equipped to do this. Given that care home residents are at a heightened risk of serious complications from the virus and we are now seeing more reported cases in care homes, what specific action is the Welsh Government now taking to expedite support for those living and indeed working in the sector?

First Minister, the health Minister made clear yesterday that securing enough PPE is a bigger priority than the challenges on coronavirus testing. Now, you'll be aware that the Royal College of Nursing in Wales and indeed others are calling on the Welsh Government to commit to safeguarding supplies of PPE, as well as calling for the Government not to weaken the guidance to disguise shortages, and also to conduct a rapid audit across health boards to ensure that PPE is being distributed effectively to all care settings. It is unacceptable that 74 per cent of nursing staff have raised concerns about PPE and that over half of nursing staff have felt pressured to care for a patient without adequate protection. Therefore, could you confirm that the Welsh Government will now undertake a rapid audit of PPE across health boards in Wales, as well as confirm what action is being urgently taken to ensure that key workers in Wales all have access to the PPE that they need?