A DUP MP is self-isolating after being in ‘close contact’ with SNP Covid positive SNP member Margaret Ferrier.
The Scots MP has come under fire after she travelled from Glasgow to London with Covid-19 symptoms, then returned home after testing positive.
The House of Commons speaker has said he is “very, very angry” at the “reckless” behaviour of the representative for Rutherglen and Hamilton West.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle said he could not believe that Margaret Ferrier had put other people’s health at risk. Ms Ferrier has been suspended by the SNP and is facing calls to quit as an MP.
An Assistant Serjeant at Arms in the Commons has been told to self-isolate after being close to Ms Ferrier when she spoke in the Commons on Monday while awaiting the results of a coronavirus test.
Ms Ferrier has apologised and said she “deeply regretted” her actions.
And in a statement issued on Friday afternoon, the DUP said their Strangford MP Jim Shannon was “seated at the same dining table as Margaret Ferrier on Monday evening”.
They added: “The room seating arrangements included proper social distancing measures. On Wednesday evening, the Speaker’s Office alerted Mr Shannon that he had been identified as a close contact of an individual who had tested positive for Covid-19.
“Upon receiving this news, Mr Shannon immediately self-isolated and on Thursday afternoon he received a negative Covid-19 test result.
"Mr Shannon sought and at all times has followed the advice of Public Health England and the House of Commons’ Covid-19 team in dealing with every element of this incident. As a precaution, Mr Shannon is self-isolating at home.”
