A new drive-thru coronavirus testing centre has officially been opened on the outskirts of Carmarthen.
The unit, located at the United Counties Showground in Nanytci to the west of the town centre, is supporting other testing facilities set up in Wales.
It is designed so that symptomatic NHS staff and other key workers can be tested by having a swab taken from the back of their throat without them even having to leave their vehicles.
Key workers include police officers, staff from fire and ambulance services, care home workers and other critical authority staff.
The facility in Carmarthen has been delivered following a partnership between the UK Government and professional services network, Deloitte.
The partnership aims to deliver UK-wide coronavirus testing alongside other with other bodies including the Welsh Government, Public Health Wales, Carmarthenshire Council and other partners on the Local Resilience Forum.
Elsewhere in West Wales, testing facilities are being set up in Llanelli in Carmarthenshire, in Cardigan and Aberystwyth in Ceredigion, and Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire, while the strengthening of testing capacity is being considered elsewhere in the region.
How the testing centre works and who is eligible
- Testing is prioritised for staff such as health and social care workers, police officers, fire service employees and prison workers.
- Symptomatic key workers or key workers with a symptomatic household member can request a test through the Hywel Dda University Health Board.
- Details on how to request a test can be obtained from the key worker’s employing organisation, and if a test is deemed appropriate then an appointment slot will be provided at the most convenient testing facility.
- People are asked not to attend any testing facilities without prior arrangement with the health board, as this could adversely affect their ability to provide tests to those who need them.
- Testing units do not pose a risk to the public as stringent infection prevention measures are in place to protect people, staff and the wider community.
- The test involves taking a single dry swab from the back of the throat, which is then processed at Public Health Wales laboratories.
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The result of a test will be sent via text message to the individual who has been tested, and their employer will receive an email confirming that the test result has been sent.
Executive director of therapies and health science for Hywel Dda University Health Board, Alison Shakeshaft, said: “We are grateful for the partnership working between the government and agencies in our area to establish this testing centre which supports testing capacity across our large area.
"We serve a rural community and are doing everything we can to make testing as accessible as possible. We will continue to work with other health boards in regards to mutual aid and supporting people who live or work across our boundaries.”
Peter Roderick, assistant chief constable for Dyfed-Powys Police, speaking on behalf of the Local Resilience Forum, said the testing of more of our key workers was a crucial step in tackling the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
“We are pleased to support expansion of testing for our key workers in this area, which is a critical part of our response to this pandemic," he said.
"We thank our key workers and also our communities for their continued co-operation and assistance.”
