Michael Gove’s family is in isolation because his daughter developed coronavirus symptoms, his wife Sarah Vine has said.
Ms Vine, a newspaper columnist, wrote about her family’s lockdown in the Daily Mail.
She said daughter Beatrice, 17, had come down with a high fever and “assorted Covid-19 symptoms” on Sunday.
“She seems perfectly fine now (oh, blissful youth),” she added.
“But, as a precaution, the rest of us are now self-isolating, including my husband.”
She went on: “It’s unlikely, in my view, that he will have caught it from her — being a typical teenager, she spends most of her time in voluntary self-isolation in her bedroom.
“On the rare occasions that she does emerge, she studiously avoids all contact with either of us for fear of eliciting unwanted and embarrassing displays of affection.
“Fellow parents of teenagers will know what I’m talking about. Still, better safe than sorry.”
Mr Gove tweeted confirmation of his family’s isolation yesterday.
He wrote: “Many thanks for kind messages. In accordance with the guidance, I am isolating at home after a member of my family started to display mild symptoms of coronavirus on Sunday.
“I have not displayed any symptoms and am continuing to work as normal.”
Aides insisted he was working as normal. But Mr Gove - who does not have symptoms himself - is yet another senior Cabinet minister to be hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
PM Boris Johnson remains in intensive care in London's St Thomas' Hospital, where he has been treated with oxygen and could have to be put on a ventilator.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty have both had, then recovered from Covid-19, while other Cabinet ministers have shown symptoms.
