Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak will not self-isolate, despite both being contacted by NHS Test and Trace as a contact of someone who has tested positive for Covid-19.
Downing Street announced the Prime Minister will be taking part in a daily contact testing pilot which allows him to continue to work from Downing Street.
A No 10 spokesman said: “They will be conducting only essential government business during this period.”
The decision however has been met with dismay across the political spectrum.
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner has criticised the Government as it was announced that Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak do not have to self-isolate despite being contacted by NHS Test and Trace after Sajid Javid tested positive for Covid-19.
She wrote on Twitter: “Sorry for the unparliamentary language but this just takes the p***.
“Not following the rules that they created and which they expect my constituents to follow.
“This Government treats the public with contempt and think they are above the law and that the rules don’t apply to them.”
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said many people across the UK would be dismayed by the “special, exclusive rule” after it was announced that both the Prime Minister and the Chancellor would not have to self-isolate.
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He told Sky News: “There will be parents across the country who have struggled this year when their children have been sent home because they were in a bubble and had to self-isolate.
“There will be workers across the country that have to isolate because they’ve been pinged, including in public services, including the NHS.
“For many of them, waking up this morning to hear that there is a special rule, an exclusive rule, for Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak, they will be saying that this looks like one rule for them and something else for the rest of us.”
He continued: “Nobody understands how you can get access to this special treatment or VIP lane where you don’t have to isolate yourself.
“If it is a pilot, why can’t employers apply for their workforce to be part of this pilot, why can’t schools apply to be part of this pilot test?
“I do think a lot of people are going to be looking at this and thinking ‘what on earth is going on?’”
Mr Ashworth added: “This is at a time when we need to maintain confidence in the isolation policies, because isolation, taking yourself away from society if you’ve been in contact with someone who’s got the virus, is one of the key ways we break transmission and, of course, we know infections are rising.”
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has condemned the way Boris Johnson has been able to escape quarantine despite being contacted by NHS Test and Trace.
In a statement, Sir Ed said: “It is one rule for them and another rule for everyone else.
“How about the school teachers, transport workers and health workers getting a chance to be part of this test pilot or is it only for the privileged few?
“People have stuck to the rules and done the right thing, Boris Johnson is taking them for granted.”
Co-leader of the Green Party Jonathan Bartley said “anger doesn’t begin to cover it” after it was announced that Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak do not have to isolate after coming into contact with Sajid Javid, who tested positive for Covid-19.
He wrote on Twitter: “Hundreds of thousands of young people, including my children, had their education and lives repeatedly turned upside down again and again after dutifully and responsibly isolating. And now this.
“Anger doesn’t begin to cover it.”
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