RESIDENTS in Caerphilly are being urged to get tested for coronavirus at the temporary local testing unit.

Today's figures show 31 new confirmed coronavirus cases in the borough, considerably higher than anywhere else in Wales.

Dr Giri Shankar, of Public Health Wales, said he was "concerned" about the rise in cases and urged residents to get tested.

However, he also asked parents not to take their children out of school unless they asked to do so by the school or local authority.

A class of 21 pupils in Caerphilly have been told to self-isolate for two weeks after a member of staff at their school tested positive for Covid-19.

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Dr Shankar said: "We are concerned about the significant rise in positive coronavirus cases in Caerphilly area in recent days.

"It is absolutely vital that everyone in the community abides by social distancing measures - that is, by self-isolating when asked to do so, keeping two metres away from others outside your household, and washing hands regularly.

“We are now seeing a steady increase in cases in a number of communities across Wales and our investigations show that many of these have been transmitted due to a lack of social distancing.”

Dr Shankar appealed to everyone in the Caerphilly area to use the local testing unit at the leisure centre in the town if they had “even the mildest” of Covid-19 symptoms or were feeling unwell “with no explanation”.

Speaking to BBC Radio Wales earlier in the day, Dr Shankar had warned of the possibility of a local lockdown being introduced in Caerphilly.