Enhanced Covid-19 testing introduced for care homes across Wales

Further Covid-19 testing for care home staff is beginning this week in a bid help identify infectious individuals sooner and manage outbreaks more effectively.

The testing programme will involve the twice weekly testing of asymptomatic care home staff using rapid lateral flow test devices.

The tests will be in addition to the PCR tests, which are sent to a laboratory, currently undertaken by care home staff as part of a package of measures for preventing transmission of Covid-19 in care homes and protecting residents and staff which has been operating since June 2020.

A £3 million funding package has been agreed to support additional testing in care homes.

Health Minister Vaughan Gething said: “The protection of the most vulnerable people in our communities has been a priority during the Covid-19 virus outbreak.

“Care home staff, local authorities and health protection teams continue to work tirelessly to prevent the introduction and onward transmission of Covid-19 in our care homes.

“While we are making good progress with the roll-out of our vaccination programme, testing remains pivotal in our response to the pandemic to help identify infectious individuals within care homes sooner and manage outbreaks more effectively.”

Local health protection teams will also be able to consider the introduction of daily testing for a period of 10 days in care homes where there is an outbreak. This enhanced testing is in line with the ‘test to safeguard’ priority described in the refreshed Welsh Government Testing Strategy.

Lateral flow tests produce results within 20 to 30 minutes allowing for positive individuals to be identified and isolated much more quickly than through the current testing process.

The increased testing has been welcomed by the Welsh Conservatives, with Angela Burns MS, shadow minister for health and social services, describing it as “better late than never”.

“Better late than never” is how Angela Burns MS – the Shadow Minister for Health and Social Services – reacted to the announcement today (February 4) that the Labour government will introduce twice-weekly lateral flow testing (LFT) for Covid to care homes.

Mrs Burns said: “I’m glad to see that the Labour Government has finally caught up with our call to make this happen in Wales, and I suppose it’s better late than never.

“Like many of their announcements it’s now vital that Labour follows through from its announcement and delivers these tests to care settings across Wales.

“The tests will provide reassurance to our fantastic health and social care staff as well as to their families the people they’re caring for as they tackle this virus, and – crucially – It may give people the confidence to enable care home visits again.”