Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price has warned Welsh Government that failing to reach the new Coronavirus testing target is “not an option” after Health Minister Vaughan Gething confirmed the new target of 5,000 tests a day in the “coming week”.

The Welsh Government had previously said 5,000 tests a day would be conducted by mid-April but the latest data from Public Health Wales showed there were only 783 tests conducted last Friday – well below the current capacity of 1300 tests a day.

Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price said the Welsh Government had missed its target twice already this month and condemned the current daily testing figures as “shockingly low” and said they showed a “chronic failure” by the Welsh Government for which Ministers have to accept responsibility “individually and collectively”.

Mr Price said that to reach the new target, the Welsh Government would have to increase the number of daily tests by 45% “every this week”.

Citing various targets including the target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2020, eradicating child poverty by 2020 and the promise to end fuel poverty in Wales, the Plaid Cymru Leader said the Welsh Government had a record of failing to reach targets it set itself.

The Plaid Leader pointed out that the virus would “not wait around” for the Welsh Government to “get its act together” and that a dramatic increase in daily testing was needed as a matter of “absolute urgency.”

The First Minister told Politics Wales that it was a “mistake” to set a number because reporters would get “fixated on a number”.

Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price said,

“The Welsh Government has already missed its target with Covid-19 testing twice this month. Wales is only currently testing around 783 a day – a shockingly low figure and points to a chronic failure by the Welsh Government for which Ministers have to accept responsibility, individually and collectively.

“To reach its new target of 5,000 Covid-19 tests a day by Friday this week then the Welsh Government will need to increase the number of daily tests by 45% every day this week.

 “Failing to reach their target on fighting climate change. Failing to end fuel poverty. Failing to eradicate child poverty. The Welsh Government consistently fail to reach targets they set themselves.

“But this virus will not wait around for the Welsh Government to get its act together. Every day where the testing target it missed is another day lost in the fight against third pandemic. We need to see a dramatic increase in daily testing as a matter of absolute urgency. Failing for a third time is simply not an option.