Members of staff working for MHA's Morel Court in Penarth have created a petition calling on Public Health Wales to carry out testing for COVID-19 on all care staff and resident's of care homes.

MHA has been campaigning throughout the crisis to ensure their staff, residents and patients have access to the necessary equipment throughout the pandemic.

MHA's Ty Gwyn, which is also situated in Penarth, had the first confirmed case of coronavirus in the local area. You can read more about that here.

Currently, the Welsh Government have said that they will test care homes (staff and residents) if there's an outbreak or an individual in the home tests positive.

However, those behind the petition want to see this go further.

The petition created by Penarth's care home staff outlines the following: ''This petition from the people of Wales calls on Public Health Wales to carry out testing for COVID-19 on all care staff and resident's of care homes in the Principality on a regular basis during this crisis.

''It is well documented that countries that carried out testing early in the pandemic have lower death rates than the UK, England is now to test all residents and staff at care homes yet Wales will not.

''Wales Health Minister Vaughan Gething says that testing everyone in the care sector was not the best use of resources despite UK figures for the week ending April 24th showing 2,794 care home resident's died of COVID-19, however the figure for care homes is likely to be an underestimate.

''The increase of 5,440 deaths from any cause is more likely to be an accurate indication of the scale of the direct and indirect impact of the pandemic on those living in care homes.

''Public Health Wales said there is no shortage of machines to conduct tests, and it has received offers from labs to expand capacity.

''Testing could save the lives of the most vulnerable in our society and of the heroes who tend to them, and of their families.

''Help us save lives by signing this petition.''

Between 1 March and 8 May 2020:

Care Inspectorate Wales has been notified of 504 care home resident deaths with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. This makes up 23% of all reported deaths.

173 of these were reported as confirmed COVID-19 and 331 suspected COVID-19.

You can find and sign their petition here.