First Minister must explain how testing capacity will be used
Responding to comments by the First Minister on The Andrew Marr Show this morning that, “the challenge now is to make sure that [testing] capacity is being fully utilised,” Scottish Greens Co-Leader Patrick Harvie MSP said:
“Scottish Greens have been calling on the Scottish Government to explain exactly how it will fully utilise its testing capacity for some time now.
“On Saturday we outlined a proposal that would see frontline health and care workers regularly tested. The spare capacity that currently exists means this process could be implemented swiftly, easing health and care workers‘ anxieties and helping to slow the spread of the virus.
“It’s clear that if lockdown measures are to be eased in the coming months a robust test, trace, isolate policy needs to be introduced.
“As a senior government minister told parliament last week, “There’s no point in having capacity unless you use it.”
“Now that the First Minister has acknowledged that there is significant testing capacity going unused, she must urgently explain what measures she will put in place to use it.”