Caerphilly residents working in Merthyr Tydfil will be offered coronavirus test

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Caerphilly County Borough residents working in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough will be offered a test as part of Wales’s first mass coronavirus testing programme.

Welsh Government announced that all Merthyr Tydfil County Borough residents, as well as people who work within the borough, will be eligible.

The mass testing will begin on Saturday, November 21.

It comes as part of plans to combat the spread of coronavirus in the area – which is one of the worst hit areas in the UK.

Armed forces personnel will be involved in the plans.

Mass testing has already been rolled out in other areas in the UK, with Liverpool acting as the pilot.

The mass testing programme will also see the use of Lateral Flow Devices (LFDs), which can turnaround results in around 20 to 30 minutes.

Anyone who tests positive via a LFD test will be asked to self-isolate.

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Wales’ Health Minister Vaughan Gething said: “It will give us an even greater understanding of prevalence within the community and how many people have Covid.

“We have chosen Merthyr as it has a high prevalence and this mass testing will also help to slow down the spread of the virus in the area.

“The introduction of the rapid testing Lateral Flow Devices is a boost to our Test, Trace, Protect strategy and will speed up the process hugely.

“This is vital technology which I hope will play an important role in our fight against this deadly virus.”

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough covers an area which includes Merthyr Tydfil, Treharris, Trelewis, Quaker’s Yard, Bedlinog, Merthyr Vale, Aberfan and Troedyrhiw.