“People living in our communities need to receive care, not just a diagnosis”

Responding to the news that mass testing will begin in Merthyr Tydfil on Saturday 21 November, Delyth Jewell, Plaid Cymru Member of Senedd for the South Wales East Region, said:

“Areas such as Merthyr Tydfil, which have had persistently high infection rates for two months, have long been in need of additional support. Mass testing will be an important first step, but as more cases are identified, and more people are asked to self-isolate, there needs to be additional support to enable people to stay at home safely.

“This is why Plaid Cymru is calling for such areas to be designated ‘Covid Special Support Areas’, for self-isolation payments in these areas to be topped up to £800 and for local authorities to receive the extra support they need to help keep people safe. With lateral flow tests providing results in 20-30 minutes, this extra support needs to be in place the minute testing begins on Saturday. People living in our communities need to receive care, not just a diagnosis.”