Members of the Senedd for Arfon, Siân Gwenllian, has written to the Welsh Government asking for an update on the promised community coronavirus testing centre in Bangor.
The Welsh Government announced on 8 October that a number of Welsh university towns and cities were set to benefit from new walk-through Local Testing Sites (LTS), including Bangor.
Minister for Health and Social Services, Vaughan Gething, said: “It’s important that anyone who is showing symptoms of coronavirus get tested to ensure we stop the spread of the virus. The new Local Testing Sites will be across Wales and will play a key role in our NHS Wales Test, Trace, Protect programme.”
The Education Minister, Kirsty Williams, said: “As university students return to cities and towns across Wales we want to ensure robust testing is in place for both students and local residents. I am pleased that the Local Testing Sites will provide additional reassurance to those returning or starting university.”
Bangor went into local lockdown on 10 October after the city had seen a significant cluster of coronavirus cases with the incident rate around 400 cases per 100,000 people. The local lockdown was superseded by the Wales national ‘firebreak’ lockdown on Friday 23 October.
Siân Gwenllian has described the situation regarding testing in Bangor is abysmal, and unacceptable.
Ms Gwenllian has now written to Vaughan Gething and to Gill Harris, Acting Chief Executive of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.
She said: “With the announcement of the opening of a coronavirus testing facility at Ysbyty Alltwen (in Tremadog), it is disappointing that the promised testing centre for Bangor has not yet been delivered.
“It is understood that testing at Canolfan Brailsford is for students only, and that a city centre facility is being developed that would serve the wider community.”
Siân Gwenllian has asked for an urgent update on this as well as on the proposed location and expected opening date for this testing centre.
“Residents who respected the tighter local lockdown rules and are now subject to national firebreak lockdown rules are very concerned that the centre is not open yet and there does not seem to be a clear plan of opening soon.” she added.
