Pembrokeshire County Council have stated that there has been a good response to provision of a mobile testing facility based in Tenby, following the identification of a cluster of Covid cases in the area.

PCC, along with Public Health Wales, and Hywel Dda University Health Board urged members of the public to be alert to Covid-19 symptoms following the identification of a cluster of cases linked to social and sporting events and local schools, with a mobile testing unit set-up in the town’s Salterns car park on Monday, available for local residents in and around Tenby to access if they have symptoms.

The unit will be based at the car park on Marsh Road until Sunday, July 4.

To date there have been 25 cases associated with this cluster, including pupils at Tenby’s Greenhill school which has been closed since Monday (June 21) as ‘a precautionary measure’ with learning moved online and delivered remotely.

The Tenby secondary school’s headmaster has confirmed that the school will return to class based learning from Monday (June 28).

“I?am pleased to be able to confirm that we will be returning to face-to-face learning for almost all of our learners from Monday,” said head Mr. ray McGovern.

“The only exceptions will be pupils who have been informed through TTP?that they must self-isolate, either because of a positive test or being identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive or being identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive, and pupils who are unwell, still recovering.

“We have been monitoring the situation on a daily basis. The number of new positive tests being reported have fallen substantially, making it safe for us to return to face-to-face learning.

“This is good news indeed but we all must remain vigilant and follow the guidance around hand-hygiene, social distancing and gathering,” he continued.

A spokesperson for Pembrokeshire county council said: “We are pleased to see that there has been a good response to provision of a mobile testing facility based in Tenby.

“Since installing the unit we have tested over 250 people in the local community, although this doesn’t include people who may have attended other regular testing facilities, e.g. in Haverfordwest.

“We have identified over 200 contacts – predominantly Pembrokeshire residents - as part of a cautious approach given the increasing Delta variant in Wales and the UK and we are working through close contacts to identify any potential cases in the community.

“Delta variant has been the most common variant in Wales for the last two weeks and as a result is no longer reported separately from Alpha variant.

“We believe this is related to either Alpha or Delta and both are now managed in the same way.

“We are unable to release further information as it could potentially lead to the identification of individuals. Any mixing with others presents an opportunity for virus transmission.

“Sports events, social events and schools are all places with potential for people to come into close contact.

“We would remind people of the need to socially distance, to get tested if they show symptoms and to take up the opportunity to get vaccinated.

“We would continue to urge anyone with Coronavirus symptoms - a fever, a new continuous cough, or a loss/change of taste and smell - and the wider symptoms to book a test.

“We are not currently aware of any link to visitors. We urge any visitors who develop symptoms to return home as quickly as possible if well enough to do so.

“If they are too unwell to return home straight away and require a test locally, they should still book a test, providing the postcode of their holiday accommodation,” added the spokesperson.

Tests can be booked by calling 119, or through the UK portal: https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test

PCC’s leader Clr. David Simpson highlighted that the importance of Covid-19 testing cannot be over stated.

“It has been easy to think we are through the worst of this pandemic, but this has been a reminder how we must all continue to tackle this issue collectively,” he remarked.

“This situation really has highlighted to me the importance of getting tested if you have symptoms; and I’m delighted to say there has been a really good response to the mobile testing unit being put in place in Tenby.”