THE leader of Wrexham Council has expressed frustration at calls for mass testing to take place in a village where coronavirus cases have spiked.

The request was made recently by two local councillors in Gwersyllt as figures show that the number of Covid-19 cases per 100,000 of the population in the area are within the highest percentile in Wales

According to the latest seven day-statistics from Public Health Wales, the Llay South and Gwersyllt East sub-area has 1,022 cases per 100,000.

Meanwhile, the numbers for Gwersyllt West and Summerhill stand at 928 per 100,000 for the period from December 24 to 30.

Plaid Cymru councillors Gwenfair Jones and Phil Rees said mass testing was needed in the community to help bring infection rates under control.

However, Cllr Mark Pritchard, who heads up the leading independent/Conservative coalition on the council, said he was confused by the focus on Gwersyllt when figures for other areas are higher.

Speaking at a media briefing held today (Tuesday, January 5), he said: “There seems to be a concentration around Gwersyllt and I can’t seem to understand why.

“Everybody seems to be driving it and it isn’t just about Gwersyllt, even though Gwersyllt have got high numbers and we’re very sympathetic, but this is about Wrexham.

“If you look at the figures, Llay South and Gwersyllt East had 1,022, Gwersyllt West and Summerhill had 928, Johnstown and Rhostyllen had 1,141, New Broughton and Bryn Cefn had 1,031

“What concerns me here is there seems to be a tremendous amount of pressure being put on ourselves and the Welsh Government and everybody to do testing just in Gwersyllt.

“It isn’t just about Gwersyllt – this is about Wrexham as a place and I think it’s important we must remember that.”

A briefing document published by the council this week shows that the Covid-19 infection rate in Wrexham is currently the second highest in Wales.

Health officials have said that numbers are partly being driven by a new, more infectious strain of the virus being present within the county borough.

However, the local authority said neither hospital admissions nor deaths have yet reached close to the levels seen last spring.

The council’s chief executive Ian Bancroft said that figures in some parts of Wrexham may be heightened by cases of the virus identified within care homes.

He said: “Clearly, where you have a case in a care home you then have testing through the care home.

“If you then get a large number of tests that is going to have a significant effect in a geographical area.”

In relation to mass testing, he added: “The point of mass testing is to figure out if there is a spread in the community.

“We’re at a stage where we know there’s a spread in the community, so it doesn’t actually tell you anything additional in terms of being able to control the virus.

“It’s not our call as a local authority about mass testing, but I just wanted to outline the logic.”