Keir Starmer has said the government should have “stepped up sooner” as he backed moves to expand the Covid booster jab programme.
The Labour leader warned the NHS is in danger of being “overwhelmed” by the emergence of the new Omicron variant, as he urged people to “stick to the rules” and get their top-up injections.
“We may not be certain how dangerous it is but we do know that lives are at risk and again our NHS is at risk of being overwhelmed,” he said in remarks broadcast on TV on Monday in response to Boris Johnson’s address a day earlier.
“If that happens more people will die.
“So we must do everything that we can to protect the NHS.”
Starmer said delivering the accelerated booster jab programme would be a “big challenge”, which is “why we argued that the government should have stepped up sooner”.
“Time and time again the British people have risen to the challenge so let’s pull together now and do the right thing once more,” he said.
“At times like this, we must all put the national interest first and play by the rules.
“Of course I understand that sticking to the rules can be inconvenient but stick to the rules we must.
“It would be easy to let the festivities we’ve all been looking forward to, divert us from our national duty.
“Getting jabbed, wearing masks and working from home if we can really will help prevent infections and help prevent the NHS being overwhelmed.”
The prime minister had announced a new deadline of jabbing everyone over 18 by the new year amid surging cases of the new strain. The UK’s first Omicron linked death was announced on Monday.
Earlier, the speaker of the House of Commons has criticised Johnson for his no-show in parliament, saying he will play “hardball” with the government.