Plaid Cymru have hit out at the Welsh Government’s “complex and shambolic” Covid-19 testing system as the target to reach 5,000 tests a day by tomorrow is set to be missed.

Wales currently has capacity to conduct 1,300 tests. Only 678 tests were conducted yesterday.

Health Minister Vaughan Gething implied in today’s Welsh Government press conference the low testing numbers were due to some Local Authorities not referring social care staff for testing.

Plaid Cymru Shadow Minister for Health Rhun ap Iorwerth AM said that testing in Wales was “way behind” where it “could and should be” and that testing figures appeared to be “slipping backwards”.

Mr ap Iorwerth said that if “red tape” was the problem then the Health Minister “needs to remember” he has “the power to cut it” and called for an urgent increase in capacity and to simplify the testing system.

Plaid Cymru’s Shadow Health Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth AM said,

“On March 21st we were told that 800 tests were being doing every day in Wales, with that figure set to increase to 8000 by April 7th. Yesterday, only 678 tests were done.

“The running total in Wales was meant to be over 100,000. Instead we’re on 21169.

“Yes, there was a collapsed deal, and a suggestion that Welsh Government had had testing capacity taken away from it, but even so this is way behind where we could and should be, and indeed where we need to be in order to get a grip on this crisis. The World Health Organisation has consistently say that testing is the ‘backbone’ of the fight against coronavirus.

“Time and time again we’re told ‘it’ll be OK, we’re steadily increasing capacity’. But not only are the testing figures not only growing, but appear to be slipping backwards.

“If the red tape is the problem for the Health Minister as he suggests, then he needs to remember that he has the power to cut it. Key workers aren’t being tested. Tests are too slow coming back. We need to urgently increase capacity and simplify the testing system.”