Coronavirus UK: Boris Johnson didn’t practise what he preached

Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock faced accusations they had failed to follow their own advice on social distancing after both tested positive for coronavirus.

The Prime Minister and Health Secretary were pictured at close quarters in the Commons in recent days – well within the advised 6ft limit.

Just hours after they confirmed they had the virus, Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty, who has been the face of the nation’s coronavirus response, revealed he too had symptoms.

Professor Whitty said he would be isolating at home for seven days having experienced symptoms ‘compatible’ with the disease on Thursday night. 

In fact the Chief Medical Officer – who is also a consultant doctor – had even advised the Prime Minister in person earlier that evening after Mr Johnson complained of coronavirus-like symptoms.

It is not known whether Professor Whitty examined Mr Johnson or took his temperature, but he is unlikely to have been wearing protective clothing.

In another frantic day of developments in the battle against coronavirus: 

• US President Donald Trump wished Mr Johnson a ‘speedy recovery’ as the two leaders spoke on the phone;
• Mr Gove revealed a new alliance between businesses, research institutes and universities will boost testing capacity so NHS workers will know if they have coronavirus with testing starting next week;
• NHS chief executive Simon Stevens said there are now 33,000 beds available nationwide for coronavirus patients;
• He also revealed two new Nightingale hospitals will be set up in Birmingham and Manchester in addition to the one in London; 
•  A council is facing a furious backlash after targeting members of the public with drones, as lawyers warned that police are ‘unlawfully’ trying to restrict people travelling to isolated spots to exercise and walk their dogs;
• There are demands for the government to go further to help millions of self-employed after Mr Sunak admitted a bailout for income support will not be up and running until June; 
• Buckingham Palace has said the Queen remains in ‘good health’ and has not seen the PM since March 11; 
• UK supermarkets said they will use a government database of 1.5 million vulnerable shoppers to help prioritise delivery slots.

A Downing Street spokesman suggested it was unlikely the Chief Medical Officer contracted the disease from the Prime Minister, as the first signs usually take several days to appear.

Duncan Selbie, chief executive of Public Health England, revealed on Thursday he was self-isolating with symptoms, and several Department of Health advisers are also thought to have the virus.

That the virus has infected so many senior figures who are co-ordinating the nation’s response will raise concerns policies to contain its spread will be impeded.

A Department of Health source said Professor Whitty only had mild symptoms and would still be coordinating the nation’s response in self-isolation at home.

Writing on Twitter yesterday, Professor Whitty said: ‘After experiencing symptoms compatible with Covid-19 last night, in line with the guidance, I will be self-isolating at home for the next seven days. I will be continuing to advise the Government on the medical response to coronavirus, supported by my deputies.’

Mr Hancock developed a temperature and sore throat on Wednesday evening – just hours after he had been in close contact with the Prime Minister.

As recently as Wednesday afternoon, he was pictured next to Mr Johnson and Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, who is considered more at risk from coronavirus as he has Type 1 diabetes, shortly after Prime Minister’s Questions.Mr Johnson, meanwhile, was photographed clapping for NHS staff on Thursday night with Chancellor Rishi Sunak outside Downing Street, when he is likely to have had symptoms, although kept a distance apart.

In recent weeks Mr Johnson has continued to meet his Cabinet and key advisers, including Professor Whitty, while urging the public to work from home wherever possible. Although the Prime Minister and Health Secretary have both tested positive, the Chief Medical Officer has not himself undertaken a test.

Tests are only available to Cabinet ministers if they show symptoms, which raises the possibility that others may have contracted the disease and spread it without realising they were ill.

A spokesman for Mr Sunak, who is not self-isolating, said he has not had any symptoms and therefore has not been tested.

Downing Street has previously confirmed that Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab would stand in if Mr Johnson was too unwell to continue leading the nation.

If Mr Raab also became ill, the Prime Minister has the power to delegate responsibility to any of his ministers.

Where did Boris Johnson catch coronavirus… and who did he infect? How PM came into close contact with politicians and health chiefs over past 10 days before testing positive  

Boris Johnson has been in close contact with dozens of politicians and health chiefs over the past ten days before testing positive for coronavirus.

The Prime Minister has been holding press conferences at 10 Downing Street with the likes of Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick.

He has also stood near Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jenny Harries, Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance.

The three scientists have appeared at the Downing Street press conferences, and have also been meeting other politicians and civil servants across Westminster. 

While the PM has held Cabinet meetings and discussions with the Queen remotely, he still attended the Commons for Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday.    

Last night Mr Johnson stood outside in Downing Street with Mr Sunak as they both joined in the national clap for NHS staff. They stood distanced from one another.

However a spokesman for Mr Sunak has said he had not had any symptoms and therefore had not been tested for coronavirus and was not self-isolating. 

Going further back, the Prime Minister attended the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 9 with his pregnant partner Carrie Symonds.

There, the couple spoke to a number of dignitaries and celebrities, and Mr Johnson was photographed shaking hands with boxer Anthony Joshua after the service.

He has also spoken to schoolchildren at No10 on March 5, visited flood defences in Worcestershire on March 8 and been to laboratories on March 1 and March 6. 

Here is a pictorial guide to what Mr Johnson has been doing this month: