Questions Without Notice from the Party Leaders

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:44 pm on 8 December 2020.

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Photo of Adam Price Adam Price Plaid Cymru 1:44, 8 December 2020

Diolch, Llywydd. First Minister, a study recently published by researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has found that mass testing in Slovakia, which we've discussed before, coupled with other measures—additional support for people who are self-isolating—brought the infection rate down by 60 per cent, which is considerably higher than the impact of the recent lockdown, for example, the circuit-breaker, in England. The study found that, due to the nature of the test used in Slovakia, they probably picked up 90 per cent of the people who were tested and were infected in that time, whereas in Liverpool the evidence there suggests that rapid tests have missed 50 per cent of all infections and 30 per cent of those with a high viral load. The technical advisory cell advice published today says that while there are new technologies that will enable more rapid testing, they're not a silver bullet, but the TAC's advice predates this new evidence that I've referred to. So, can you ask TAC to look again and undertake modelling to assess the likely impact of a Slovak-style mass testing programme in Wales as a more effective means of suppressing the virus and an alternative to cycling in and out of higher restrictions?