Boris Johnson has dodged his own rules on self-isolation despite being ‘pinged’ for close contact with Covid-ridden Health Secretary Sajid Javid in Downing Street.
The Prime Minister’s “one rule for them” exceptionalism comes on the eve of Johnson’s so-called Freedom Day which will see mandatory mask-wearing and other restrictions dropped in England.
Both Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak have been contacted by NHS Test and Trace, rather than ‘pinged’ by the Covid-19 app, after the Health Secretary confirmed on Saturday that he contracted covid-19 despite being double-jabbed.
But Downing Street is part of a “daily contact testing pilot” which means the PM and chancellor can avoid the legal duty imposed on others to self-isolate for up to 10 days - with £1,000 fines for those who breach the law.
Under the pilot scheme the PM will take daily tests and only self-isolate from his work if the test comes back positive.
More than half a million people have been ordered to isolate in England and Wales in a week after being ‘pinged’ by the Covid-19 app.
Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth MP said thousands of people forced to self-isolate would be astonished by the the “special, exclusive rule” for Johnson and Sunak.
The Shadow Health Secretary said: “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 added: “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?’”
Tory Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick insisted members of the public who have contact with a positive case must continue to isolate to “tackle the virus right now”.
He told Sky News: “I entirely appreciate your point that this isn’t available yet to wider members of the public and I appreciate the frustration they might feel listening to this.
“They, like me or other members of the public who are pinged, will have to self-isolate in the usual way and that’s a really important part of our plan to keep Covid under control.”
Asked if the PM just meant freedom for himself, not the millions who will be ‘pinged’, Jenrick insisted: “They can conduct important government business but they won’t be able to go out socialising or meet other friends and family.
A No10 spokesman said: “The Prime Minister and Chancellor 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.”
