UK Labour Party leader Keir Starmer has urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to address the citizens on the “real emergency” facing the United Kingdom as a new strain of COVID-19 spreads rapidly.
“We need strong, clear, and decisive leadership. The prime minister needs to be straight with people about precisely what is going on and precisely what he is going to do about it.
“He must address the nation today, after this morning’s Cobra meeting, and then hold daily news conference until the disruption is eased,” Starmer said.
According to UK media reports, Johnson is set to chair a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee one day after the country broke its single-day record for new COVID-19 cases.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said one week ago that a new strain of the disease had been identified in southeast England.
Hancock said that dozens of countries, including France and Russia, have enforced temporary bans on travel from the UK over the past 24 hours.
“Make no mistake, this is now a real emergency,” the Labour leader added.
The UK Department of Health and Social Care on Sunday confirmed that 35,928 new positive tests for COVID-19 had been registered over the preceding day. (Sputnik/NAN)
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