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Sir Keir Starmer has asked Prime Minister Boris Johnson to apologize for a “near collapse” in the government’s coronavirus testing and tracking system.
The Labor leader told the BBC that ministers had “lost control of where the virus is”, making the need for further restrictions “more likely”.
He added that “proof of repair” should be “priority number one.”
The health secretary said additional resources are being devoted to speeding up test results.
Matt Hancock blamed an increase in those without symptoms seeking evidence for an increase in demand, but said it had declined in the last week.
But he admitted that the proportion of test results that are changed within the government’s 24-hour target period “clearly must increase.”
Sir Keir’s call to apologize for the tests comes as the government introduces fines of up to £ 10,000 for people who fail to self-isolate after being ordered to do so.
A new legal duty in England will require people to self-isolate if they test positive for the virus, or are traced as a close contact, starting on September 28.
The UK government expects the new fines to be repeated in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, which have powers to set their own rules on the coronavirus.
‘Prepare for fall’
Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr program, Sir Keir said the Labor Party would support “any action” ministers take to suppress virus cases.
But he added: “If I were the prime minister, I would apologize for the fact that we are in this situation with the evidence.”
“All summer long, we’d say ‘get ready for fall.’ Instead, we had the exam fiasco.
“I would make fixing testing the number one priority and reestablishing daily press conferences so we know what’s going on.”
When asked if problems with testing made a second national lockout more likely, Sir Keir said: “I don’t think a lockdown is inevitable.
“But I think now it’s more likely due to the near-collapse of the tests.”
The warning comes after the head of England’s test and trace system said earlier this week that demand for tests was “significantly outpacing” supply.
Baroness Harding told MPs that the return of children to school classrooms meant that the demand for exams in England among those under 17 had doubled.
Need for ‘prioritization’
“I don’t think anyone expected to see the really big increase in demand that has occurred in the last few weeks,” he said.
Also speaking with Andrew Marr, Hancock said: “Fortunately, the demand has dropped a bit this week.”
He said the government had been “clearer and stricter” in prioritizing testing for “people who need them, who have symptoms.”
Before the expected publication of a list of people who will be placed at the head of the queue for tests, he said: “We must be clear about that prioritization.”
“We also need to build that [testing] capacity, “he added.
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Schoolchildren across the UK have been back in the classroom in recent weeks
Meanwhile, Sir Keir has also called for children to be prioritized for testing, adding that there was a “desperate” need for increased testing to keep schools open.
He said children should be in “the same position” as key workers, with evidence available within 24 hours and results reported within another day.
Speaking on Sky News, he said sending year-round students and groups home while children await test results could prevent a “meaningful return” to classrooms.
He added that this would require a total test capacity greater than the 500,000 target currently promised by the government by the end of next month.
Online job conference
Sir Keir’s interview comes as he prepares to address Labor members next week during the party’s online conference, which began on Saturday.
Dubbed Labor Connected, the four-day event replaces the traditional party conference in Liverpool, which has been canceled due to the pandemic.
Sir Keir said the event would give the party the opportunity to “change and refocus on winning the next election.”
But before the event, the head of the Fire Brigade, affiliated with the Labor Party, warned him not to “dilute” the “radical policies” of his leadership campaign.
