A call has been made to ramp up coronavirus testing in the region.
MSP Colin Smyth believes provision is still “totally inadequate” for implementing the Scottish Government’s test, trace and isolate strategy.
He welcomed the introduction of soldiers being drafted in to man mobile units in Dumfries and Galloway but fears it is not enough to meet the challenges in the next phase of the pandemic strategy.
Mr Smyth said: “Despite more testing being carried out, capacity in our region is still far too low.
“The government was wrong in my view to drop the policy of test, trace and isolate that was in place at the start of the outbreak.
“But we know they dropped it because they did not have the testing capacity to implement it properly. Now that they plan to reintroduce the policy, far more will need to be done to increase testing capacity.
“All the international evidence shows that testing is key but the small number of units we have in the region is not enough.”
He added: “From the beginning of this crisis I have demanded the Scottish Government increase testing as a matter of priority and, while Monday's national announcement from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon about the roll-out of the test, trace and isolate system is a step forward, we can’t afford any further delays.”
Key workers and their families suffering Covid-19 symptoms were tested in Dumfries this week by the army.
The mobile unit was set up at the Mountainhall Treatment Centre on Wednesday.
Yesterday it moved to DG1 at Hoods Loaning in Dumfries and today it will be at the Kilngreen car park in Langholm.
Tomorrow the unit will set up at the Fun Pool in Sanquhar.
It will be travelling around the region in the coming days, including rural areas and communities where the NHS believes there are coronavirus hotspots.
Anyone with symptoms in the key worker categories, those older than 65 and household members of these groups can book a testing appointment on the Scottish Government website at https://self-referral.test-for-coronavirus.service.gov.uk.
To check eligiblity go to www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested/pages/who-can-be-tested.
A spokesman for the NHS said: “Testing by NHS Dumfries and Galloway has been under way for some time for patients requiring hospital treatment for symptoms of Covid-19, as well as key workers in health and social care and other partner agencies.
“We are working closely with colleagues in the UK national testing programme to have mobile testing available for key workers and other categories who have not been eligible to access the NHS testing.
“Mobile testing for Covid-19 will now be available for symptomatic key workers including food chain, transport, delivery, essential manufacturing, etc, as well as those older than 65 years of age and household members of these groups.”
The spokesman added: “As samples are tested in Glasgow results will take a few days to be returned.”
The Scottish Government said it is working on a bid to ramp up testing provision.
A spokesman said: “Testing capacity continues to be scaled up to support the move to the test, trace, isolate and support approach.
“We now have active weekday NHS lab capacity for 4,350 tests a day and 4,000 from the Glasgow Lighthouse Laboratory, providing overall normal maximum daily capacity for analysing coronavirus tests of 8350.
