WATCH: Starmer slams PM over claim Covid spike unrelated to testing failures

Keir Starmer has criticised Boris Johnson for suggesting that the recent increase in coronavirus cases had “very little or nothing to do” with the government’s failures on the test and trace programme.

Appearing in front of the House of Commons in this afternoon’s session of Prime Minister’s Questions, the Labour leader exposed the internal contradictions on the government’s handling of the pandemic.

Using the debate to highlight Boris Johnson’s previous enthusiasm for the regime, Starmer told parliament: “Three months ago today the Prime Minister said that test and trace will be a real game-changer for us.

“He was backed up by the Health Secretary who said finding where people who test positive are is the single most important thing that we can do to stop the spread of the virus.

“Yesterday the Prime Minister said the complete opposite. Standing there he said testing and tracing has very little or nothing to do with the spread or transmission of the disease. Both positions cannot be right, which one is it Prime Minister?”

The PM responded after being pressed: “It is an epidemiological fact that transmission of the virus occurs from human contact, from person to person. What test and trace enables us to do is isolate the cases of the virus in ever greater detail.”

Johnson made the controversial comments as he outlined the new Covid restrictions being introduced this week to help fight the increasing rate of transmission of the virus in parliament on Tuesday.

The Prime Minister added: “I increasingly think it’s disgraceful that the Labour opposition continue to blame NHS test and trace for the resurgence of the disease.”

The measures outlined by the Prime Minister earlier this week include a 10pm closing time for hospitality venues and an extension of the ‘rule of six’ to encompass indoor sports teams, alongside advising people to work from home.

The new restrictions were announced after a rapid rise in the number of Covid infections in the UK, with experts estimating this month that the reproduction ‘R’ rate of the virus could be as high as 1.7.