Scotland on course to “miss” half a million Covid tests

Scotland is on course to "miss" half a million Coronavirus tests, the Tories have claimed.

Scotland is set to "miss" half a million Covid tests

The party points to official figures which show that 452,081 tests, which were available under official capacity, had not been used throughout May and June. This is likely to top 500,000 by the end of the month.

Capacity for testing north of the border now sits at 15,500 a day, but only about a third of this is generally being used according to the party.

Nicola Sturgeon has previously insisted that testing is only one aspect of suppressing the virus, but the key measures remain social distancing and hand hygiene.

The most recent figures reveal just 3416 took place on Sunday, prompting concerns that staff in care homes and frontline health workers are not receiving the "regular testing" pledged by ministers.

Tory Health spokesman Miles Briggs now fears the approach to testing may jeopardise Scotland’s exit from lockdown, including the return of schools and economic recovery.

He said: “There’s no problem with testing capacity in Scotland, but the SNP is failing miserably at getting these tests to those who need them.

“This isn’t a few missed tests here and there – we’re now in a chaotic situation where nearly half a million of these have gone unused.

“That’s obviously creating problems for those most vulnerable to Covid-19 and the dedicated staff who look after them.

“But it will also jeopardise economic recovery and the resumption of schooling. Everything which takes us out of lockdown will be predicated on a comprehensive and agile testing system. But so far the SNP has proved completely incapable of operating one.”

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