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Price call for ‘clear strategy’ in Wales to ‘eradicate Covid-19, not just manage it’

01 Jul 2020 2 minute read
Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price. Picture by Plaid Cymru

The Welsh Government should move to an “explicit eradication strategy” to wipe-out Coronavirus in Wales rather than simply managing it, Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price has said.

The Plaid Cymru Leader said many countries across the world had succeeded in suppressing the virus to near-zero cases including New Zealand, Greece, Slovenia, Austria and Norway.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Scotland have fallen to three over the last five days.

Over the weekend Pandemic expert Professor Devi Sridhar predicted that Scotland could be ‘Covid free’ in terms of non-imported cases, by the end of the summer.

Mr Price called upon the First Minister to instruct Wales’ Technical Advisory Cell to look specifically at those countries who had adopted an “explicit elimination strategy” to see whether those strategies could be adopted in part or in full in Wales.

The Plaid Cymru Leader said the Welsh Government should make clear exactly how they intend to drive the R rate down to zero.

Mr Price said a Covid free Wales was a “realistic aspiration” and the “surest way” to avoid a second wave.

‘Clear strategy’

“Wales must go beyond managing the Coronavirus – we must now eradicate it,” Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price MS said.

“Many countries have suppressed the virus to near-zero cases.  New Zealand is regarded as a world leader in this regard – but it’s not alone. Greece, Slovenia, Austria and Norway have also suppressed the virus to the extent that restrictions there are limited and new cases rare – and it should be pointed out these countries are not islands.

“Wales’ Technical Advisory Cell should look specifically at those countries internationally that have adopted an explicit elimination strategy to see whether those strategies could be adopted in part or in full in Wales.

“Scotland’s strategy of eliminating the virus is working. We need to see a clear strategy from Welsh Government on how they intend to drive that R rate down to zero and move from test, trace and protect, to test, trace and eliminate.

“A COVID-free Wales is a realistic aspiration in the near term and aiming for zero is the surest way of avoiding that dreaded second spike.”


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