Boris and Rishi skip self-isolation

Following yesterday’s news that health secretary Sajid Javid had tested positive for Covid, it seemed only a matter of time before other cabinet ministers were similarly forced to self-isolate. Javid had a ‘lengthy’ meeting with Boris Johnson on Friday afternoon, just hours before his symptoms developed. So, surely the Prime Minister will be expected to self-isolate? Think again…

This morning, No. 10 has released the following statement:

The Prime Minister and Chancellor have been contacted by NHS Test and Trace as contacts of someone who has tested positive for Covid. They will be participating in the daily contact testing pilot to allow them to continue to work from Downing Street. They will be conducting only essential government business during this period.

Johnson’s involvement in the coveted ‘daily contact testing pilot’ means he instead gets to be one of the lucky few who take daily tests, only going into self-isolation if the tests come back positive.