Coronavirus: Plans for four drive-through test centres in Wales
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Four drive-through coronavirus testing centres are to be opened in Wales.
The first began operation on Tuesday at Cardiff City stadium.
Three more will be opened at Rodney Parade in Newport, and locations yet to be announced in south west and north Wales.
Not everyone will be able to go - officials are planning to test key frontline workers with symptoms, including the police and prison workers.
Health Minister Vaughan Gething told a press conference the aim would be for "people to be able to travel to be tested within 30 minutes of their own home".
He said there were plans to have an "at home" test as well.
Mark Drakeford, first minister, said last Friday that the NHS is on the "way" to have 9,000 tests a day over the rest of April.
The Welsh Government is now understood to be planning for 8,000 to 10,000 tests a day by mid-to-late May.
The Cardiff City Stadium testing centre opened on Tuesday
Up to now the Welsh Government has been testing people in hospital, frontline NHS and social care staff with symptoms.
Mr Gething said testing will be rolled out to critical workers, including "police and prison staff" - the health minister said the list of critical workers amounted to 438,000 people.
People requiring tests would be "identified by their employer", he explained.
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"Our aim is to have a network of these sites where eventually people can travel to be tested within 30 minutes of their own home," Mr Gething said.
"Another three test centres will be opened in the next seven to 10 days."
He said the Welsh Government had carried out more than 15,000 tests so far. "Nearly three quarters of those tests have been negative," Mr Gething said.
It takes about 24 hours to get a result "but we do expect that to speed up."
- Published7 April 2020
