 Member of the Senedd for Gower, Rebecca Evans MS, has welcomed the announcement by the Welsh Government that nearly £32m is being invested to speed up result turnaround times for COVID-19 testing. The additional funding money will pay for extra staff and equipment for the Public Health Wales lab at Morriston Hospital, Swansea so that it can operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Rebecca Evans MS said: “This is good news. This investment will ensure the faster delivery for contact tracing and ensure that we are prepared for any increases in cases during the autumn and winter period. “The money will also support the creation of six new Hot Labs at acute hospitals across Wales - one of which will I am pleased to say will be in Morriston. It will have rapid testing equipment to turn tests around in less than four hours.”  Member of the Senedd for Gower, Rebecca Evans MS, in encouraging the residents of Gower to take part in this year’s Playday, on Wednesday 5th August. The Playday 2020 campaign theme is ‘Everyday Freedoms, Everyday Adventures,’ and it highlights the importance of giving children and teenagers the freedom to play. Rebecca Evans MS said: “This year has been particularly challenging for children and young people. Playday 2020 recognises the impact that the pandemic has had on children’s mental health and their opportunities to play freely with friends and out in their community.” This year, Playday focuses on the unique characteristics of play that help children make sense of the world around them and can alleviate their stress and anxiety - particularly during challenging and uncertain times. Rebecca Evans MS added: “Playing is fun and is central to children’s happiness. It helps children’s physical, mental and emotional health and well-being, boosts children’s resilience, and helps them to cope with stress, anxiety and challenges. It supports children to develop confidence, creativity and problem-solving skills and contributes to children’s learning and development.” Children and their parents and carers can join thousands of families in the rest of the UK to Make a Big Noise for Playday at 2:00pm on Wednesday 5th August. You can clap or cheer for play, and share photos or videos of you taking part, by emailing them to [email protected] or use the #Playday2020 hashtag to share on social media. For more information about Playday visit www.playday.org.uk or contact us so that we can provide further details. |
