Merthyr Tydfil has become the first area in Wales to begin mass coronavirus testing for people without symptoms.
Anyone who lives or works there can now get a free test.
A similar scheme followed in LiverpoolAnd the And the Members of the armed forces participate once again on the side of the local authorities.
The goal is to recognize more positive cases and stop the disease spreading unchecked.
Lateral flow tests give results in 20-30 minutes
Merthyr Tydfil Rhydycar Recreation Center opened for testing on Saturday morning and other sites will be available online later this month.
Lateral flow tests They are used – it gives a result in about 20-30 minutes and does not need to be sent to the lab.
People who test positive will also get the traditional swab test – which has a higher degree of accuracy – and will be required to go home to self-isolate.
The first person to be tested at Merthyr Tidfil on Saturday was a woman whose partner died yesterday of cancer.
Shirley Jones, 82, said: “I could have stayed this morning and not come because I was sad, but I knew I had to do the right thing in coming here for myself and our community, and pray that everyone comes out and undergoes a test like me.”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has offered rapid tests to every local authority in England, as well as to delegate states.
The region recorded the worst infection rate in the UK at the beginning of November
Merthyr Tydfil recorded the worst infection rate in the UK at the start of November, but the 17-day ‘firebreak’ shutdown in Wales appears to have had a major impact.
Cases in the region have decreased from about 770 per 100,000 people to less than 260.
Blaenau Gwent is now a virus hotspot in Wales, with more than 350 cases per 100,000.
The overall case numbers in the country fell in the 10 days before Friday, and there are also signs of a slowdown in hospitalization.
The nation’s seven-day infection rate is now around 160 cases per 100,000 people, according to Prime Minister Mark Drakford.
Despite this success, he said there was “no room” for further relaxation of the rules in Wales.
“We need everyone, each and every one of us, to do our part to make sure we continue to build on the progress made in breaking a fire, and keep coronavirus cases down,” said Mr. Druckford on Friday
“If we do all this together, we can get a road to Christmas and we will hope to see family and friends during that festive period,” he added.
Drakford said talks about a UK-wide approach to Christmas rules are planned for next week.
