Coronavirus: Cabinet minister among two more Tory MPs self-isolating

Senior Tory minister one of several MPs now being tested for Covid-19

A cabinet minister and a junior minister are self-isolating over concerns they have come into contact with coronavirus.

Edward Argar, a junior health minister, and an unnamed Cabinet minister are awaiting the results of testing after they both came into contact with Nadine Dorries, the health minister who tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday.

Labour MP Rachael Maskell has also been advised to self-isolate after she met with Ms Dorries last week.

“This has obviously now impacted Parliament and government, and we are dealing with it, like all other businesses are going to have to start dealing with it,” the chancellor Rishi Sunak told the BBC.

“For the various people that have been impacted by this, obviously that work is going on with Public Health England who are going through that process – as they do in all cases around the country – and they are exceptionally good at it, and it’s a very thorough and rigorous process.”

Ms Maskell said that just herself, Ms Dorries and members of the minister’s staff were present at the meeting on Thursday.

“I’m absolutely fine, obviously it’s frustrating because there are things I want to get on with,” she added.

“I’m just planning on making more phone calls, more working online. I’m not going to be bored, put it that way.”

Ms Dorries first exhibited symptoms at some time on Thursday – the same day she attended a Downing Street event hosted by Boris Johnson to mark International Women’s Day, the Department of Health said.

She had also held a surgery in her Mid Bedfordshire constituency on Friday morning which was attended by up to 12 people, according to Steven Dixon, chair of the Mid Bedfordshire Conservative Association.

He said it took place at The Flitwick Club, a private members’ club, which is now undergoing a deep clean as a precaution.

Mr Dixon said Ms Dorries would likely have had one of her staff members with her for the surgery.

“There were probably... I’m going to say 10, maybe 11, 12 people that came to see her in total,” he added.

He said the details of all those who attended the surgery have been passed to the NHS.

No 10 has not received a deep clean after Ms Dorries spent time in the building before her Covid-19 diagnosis, Downing Street has said.

Boris Johnson’s official spokesman said: “No 10 is following Public Health England advice and that [a deep clean] hasn’t happened at No 10.

“Contact tracing is urgently taking place in relation to Nadine Dorries and PHE will tell anyone if they need to take any action. The view is the degree of contact with the majority of the attendees at that reception will have had will most likely have been small.”

The Department of Health had said earlier on Wednesday no government ministers, including the prime minister, would need to undergo testing for Covid-19.

PHE said it had assessed the risk of Ms Dorries’ individual close contacts and only those with symptoms need to self-isolate.

For each Covid-19 case, a risk assessment is carried out and advice tailored to that group, a spokeswoman said.

Additional reporting by agencies