Fears of Commons outbreak as 12 MPS self-isolate

TWELVE MPS including the Prime Minister are self-isolating after coming into contact with coronavirus, amid fears of a widespread outbreak in Parliament.

Boris Johnson announced on Sunday that he was beginning a two-week period of self-isolation after meeting Lee Anderson, Tory MP for Ashfield, who tested positive for the virus.

Ten other MPS yesterday followed Mr Johnson and Mr Anderson in announcing they had begun isolating, prompting fears of an outbreak in Parliament that could spread to constituencies around the country.

Mr Anderson came into contact with five other Tory MPS from the 2019 intake and Mr Johnson during a visit to Downing Street on Thursday.

The previous day, he sat in the Commons next to Maria Miller, a former Tory cabinet minister.

After testing positive he was advised by his whips to contact Parliament’s internal test and trace system.

All six of the MPS in the Downing Street meeting, Ms Miller and several others are now self-isolating after their names were passed to Test and Trace.

MPS now isolating include Jacob Young, Lia Nici, Brendan Clarke-smith, Andy Carter, Katherine Fletcher, Chris Clarkson, Matt Vickers, Kieran Mullan and Marco Longhi.

The Prime Minister’s spokesman insisted yesterday that social distancing measures were observed at Thursday’s meeting, and that No 10 was “Covidsecure”, adding: “Factors such as the length of the meeting meant that it was the advice of Test and Trace that the Prime Minister should self-isolate, and he of course will follow that instruction.”