COVID-19: Testing for Care Home Staff

Part of 6. Topical Questions – in the Senedd at 2:54 pm on 15 July 2020.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 2:54, 15 July 2020

When it comes to engagement with the care home sector, there was engagement with officials before I made a decision on signing off the testing strategy. I know that there was a direct conversation with the chief exec of Care Forum Wales before the strategy had been completed. That hasn't come from any media interviews or essays from politicians on any side of the Senedd; it's come because that's my expectation—that we do have conversations with the sector that's affected. And I don't think it is a reasonable accusation to make that people were left unaware and bereft while a decision was made.

We've just completed the four-week testing programme. I made a decision last night, announced today, about taking that programme forward. It's still on a weekly basis, and, as I say, it is good news for everyone that we have a very low prevalence of coronavirus in the country, and in particular in the care home sector. That comes from all the indications in the first four weeks of this programme, and we will be able to safely reduce the frequency of testing. That won't put residents at risk—we'll still have a frequent, regular retesting programme, and we'll continue to follow the evidence. And I think that, once that evidence is published, all Members will be interested in seeing that evidence about asymptomatic testing, because it does show that we need to understand the point and the purpose of testing, rather than seeing it as a good and an end in itself. It's a tool to help keep us safe, and it's important that we understand how it's to be applied, as it continues to help keep all of us safe here in Wales.