Health minister Lord Kamall says if the increase in coronavirus cases affects the NHS backlog 'then clearly measures may well have to be introduced'.
Opening the debate, Labour health spokeswoman Baroness Merron said there had been a"stark rise" ininfections, but the government had"been noticeably silent, perhaps being somewhat distracted".
She asked if ministers were planning to run a campaign highlighting rising cases and the benefits of getting a COVID vaccine, as well as whether the government would consider reintroducing mandatory mask-wearing in hospitals.Lord Kamall replied:"We are always ready to stand up measures should the case rates rise so much that our health system was under pressure, but also what we have managed to do is break the link between infections and hospitalisations, and hospitalisations and death.
Lord Kamall said some in the health system believed future COVID cash would be"better spent elsewhere given the backlog due to lockdown" rather than on free tests for all. He added:"All this will continue to be monitored. Should the number of cases spiral out of control then clearly we would look to reintroduce free testing at some stage if it needed that."
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