Boris Johnson avoids self-isolation after aide tests positive for Covid

Prime minister has not been ‘pinged’ or contacted by Test and Trace

Boris Johnson onboard Esvagt Alba during a visit to the Moray Offshore Windfarm East, off the Moray coast (REUTERS)

A civil servant who accompanied Boris Johnson on his trip to Scotland this week has gone into self-isolation after testing positive for Covid-19.

But Downing Street says that the prime minister himself has not been told to self-isolate, as he did not come into close contact with the infected person.

Mr Johnson and the civil servant spent some time in the same room together in Glasgow and then flew in the same aircraft to Aberdeen, as the PM visited a wind-farm off the coast of northeast Scotland.

But it is understood that they did not sit close to one another on the plane or spend significant periods of time in close proximity to one another, and Mr Johnson has not been identified by NHS Test and Trace as a contact of the infected aide.

The aide remained in Scotland to fulfil the requirement to self-isolate, along with all those identified as close contacts, while Mr Johnson returned to London.

It is understood that the infected person was a member of the advance team who travelled to Scotland ahead of the PM to prepare for his two-day visit, and did not fly up from London with Mr Johnson.

A No 10 spokesperson said: “The prime minister regularly visits communities across the UK and all aspects of visits are carried out in line with Covid guidance.

“The prime minister has not come into close contact with anyone who has tested positive.”

Labour MP Anneliese Dodds, the party’s chair, said: “It’s clear the prime minister hasn’t learned anything from what happened last time he tried to cook up a reason to be above the rules everyone else has to follow.

“Senior Conservatives are really taking the public for fools. This is yet another example of one rule for them and another for everyone else.”

Mr Johnson was himself infected with Covid in March last year, spending seven nights in hospital. He was also forced to self-isolate at Chequers last month after health secretary Sajid Javid tested positive shortly after a meeting with the prime minister.

Initially, the PM and chancellor Rishi Sunak – who also came into close contact with Mr Javid – had tried to avoid isolation by claiming they would take part in a daily testing pilot scheme instead.

However, they both U-turned and decided to spend the isolation period at home after huge public pressure.