“GET tested to stop the spread” – that is health minister Eluned Morgan’s message after she visited Newtown’s Covid-19 testing centre on Thursday.

The minister visited Newtown’s asymptomatic testing centre on Thursday in her first official engagement in the county since taking on her new role.

Ms Morgan met with colleagues from Powys County Council (PCC), Powys Teaching Health Board (PTHB) and the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust who have been leading the county’s approach to tackling the pandemic.

The centre is providing free walk-in rapid Covid-19 lateral flow tests for people without symptoms, from 10am-6pm every day until July 4. It aims to help the local NHS and local authority to understand more about the spread of new variants, including the Delta one, and to be better prepared for future waves of coronavirus.

“The Test, Trace, Protect system in Wales has proven successful thanks to the strong partnership between local authorities and local health boards, and the incredible work of their staff whose knowledge of their communities has been instrumental in its success,” said the minister.

“Today was a great opportunity to speak directly to those working on the programme in Powys. I also saw first hard the incredible work of the Newtown testing team and how they are keeping Wales safe.

“Testing remains a vital tool in tackling the virus, about one in three people who test positive for Covid-19 do not have any symptoms but can still infect others. Unfortunately, the virus has not gone away and with the emergence of new variants like the Delta variant, I urge people to get tested to stop the spread.”

Councillor Rosemarie Harris, leader of Powys County Council, welcomed Ms Morgan to the centre on Park Street in Newtown: “We are very grateful to the minister for visiting the facility and meeting our hard-working staff in the Test Trace Protect programme in Powys,” said Cllr Harris.

“We are proud of the local partnership working to develop and deliver Test Trace Protect in the county, and for the support of people and communities for the steps they continue to take to keep Powys safe.”

Stuart Bourne, director of public health at PTHB, added: “Anyone can catch coronavirus and anyone can spread it, which is why it’s so important to get tested when you are showing symptoms or when advised, and to access lateral flow test if you don’t have symptoms.

“With Delta cases on the rise, including in Powys, it’s more important than ever that we take steps to prevent the spread, and testing is one of those steps. Today we had the opportunity to share first-hand with the minister the determined work of our staff to offer testing, provide contact tracing, and to protect the people of Powys.”

The testing centre is a partnership with the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust, whose staff are sharing their skills and experience so that Powys’ own Test Trace Protect staff can establish a testing centre quickly in the county when needed.

Paul Cassidy, the Welsh Ambulance Service’s head of service for its mobile testing units, said: “We’re really pleased to be working with partners at the asymptomatic testing site in Newtown, and welcome the opportunity to deliver training to colleagues so that they’re able to run asymptomatic testing centres as needed in future.”