Plaid Cymru calls for regular coronavirus testing in schools as students in Wales return to the classroom

There should be regular, significant Coronavirus testing in schools, Plaid Cymru’s Shadow Health Minister has said.

Current Welsh Government guidance states that says pupils and staff should only request a test if they are symptomatic, not if they suspect contact with a potentially positive case.

Currently, swab tests are only available for members of the public in Wales with symptoms of coronavirus, with the exception of care home settings.

However with students across Wales returning to the classroom this week for the first time since March, there have been calls for routine testing to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

Rhun ap Iorwerth has said the “only way to be sure of the full picture” is to test in schools as widely as possible to pick up those who are displaying no or very mild symptoms.

Recommendations from a recent report by the Royal Society DELVE Initiative include “implementing an effective monitoring regime…including broad surveillance, linked to an effective, sufficiently scaled and rapid test-trace-isolate system.”

This report has led to the Children’s Commissioner in England calling for teachers and pupils in England to have weekly tests.

Mr ap Iorwerth MS said: “Testing has been available for everyone in Wales who displays symptoms of coronavirus for some time.

“However, we know that children – and many adults – often display no or mild symptoms, so the only way to be sure of the full picture is if testing capacity is used as much as possible to bring possible cases and clusters to light.

“Schools are the new unknown. Given that it is so important for them to remain open and safe for everyone in them, it just makes sense to use the testing capacity in Wales to provide reassurance to teachers, parents and pupils alike that we have a complete picture of where coronavirus might be circulating.

“This is especially important as people return from holiday into school settings, amid reports that there is increased risk of transmission from holidays to certain locations.

“It’s important that the Welsh Government gives us a programme of ‘broad surveillance’ – they should start in areas where coronavirus is known to be circulating, they should test as widely as possible, and regular sampling should start now, as pupils return to schools.

“If regular testing is deemed important enough for our footballers, then it should be important enough for our teachers, students and everyone who works in our schools.”

At this week’s Welsh Government briefing we asked Education Minister Kirsty Williams about the testing policy and notification periods if there are school based issues.

We pointed to Welsh Government guidance that says pupils and staff should only request a test if they are symptomatic, not if they suspect contact with a potentially positive case.

We also the education minister why they had that policy when coronavirus appears to be asymptomatic in many cases?

In response Ms Williams said: “At this time with community transmission rates as low as they are because of the massive efforts of the Welsh people, it is appropriate that people seek a test when they are showing symptoms, however mild those symptoms may be.

“Testing asymptomatic people isn’t without its challenges in producing false positive and false negative results.

“So that is an issue and when community levels are low, but clearly we keep our testing policy under review, and we’ll amend it if necessary, but even if your symptoms are mild, then please don’t just shrug it off and think maybe you’ll be better tomorrow, any symptoms however mild, please get yourself tested.”