The wife of a Tory MP has accused Health Minister Nadine Dorries of "jeopardising" her mother and toddler son after she became infected with coronavirus.
MP Andrew Bridgen was forced into self-isolation earlier this week after developing a cough.
The Tory backbencher had said he had previously sat next to Ms Dorries, who tested positive for the virus, last Thursday at a lunch.
Now he is at home, alongside his 18-month old son and 75-year-old mother-in-law.
But his opera singer wife Nevena Bridgen, who is due to fly back to the UK today following a performance, has now publicly criticised the MP for Mid Bedfordshire and accused her of not telling contact tracers that they had sat next to each other.
On Twitter , in response to a tweet by Ms Dorries, she wrote: "Why you did not tell them that you set next to My husband Andrew Bridgen on Thursday in a tea room and that he can’t get the test now!
"I have the baby and a 75 years old mother jeopardised. You were treated but no one is coming to help us!"
In another tweet, she added:"I guess if you are not a minister you do not get test nor help."
But Ms Dorries has responded by saying she did not sit by Mr Bridgen, who represents North West Leicestershire, and urged him to contact 111 if he had any concerns.
Ms Dorries tweeted: "Because, I did not sit next to your husband. He was in tea room when I walked in, on another table not close to me.
"He text me and told me he had sat next to me, I was too ill to discuss but not sick enough not to know, that wasn’t true. I told him if he was worried, to call 111."
Speaking to the Guardian yesterday, Mr Bridgen said Ms Dorries had emailed him after she was diagnosed.
He said: “Nadine emailed me and I’ve called 111 and a doctor is going to come out and test us. He’ll test me, my mother-in-law, who is 76, and my son Blake, who is 18 months.
“I’ve moved my son Blake’s cot out of my room to my mother-in-law’s while I’m coughing.”
More than a dozen British MPs are now in self-isolation as fears spread about the extent of the coronavirus in the UK.
Following Thursday's briefing from prime minister Boris Johnson , unwell people are being advised to self-isolate at home for seven days if they have a cough or any symptoms of coronavirus.
It also means that only those ill enough to be hospitalised with respiratory problems will now be tested for the bug.
These are part of precautionary measures aimed at 'flattening the curve' of the infection rate so that the already overstretched NHS can cope with an influx of patients.
