Secretary of state said to have ‘mild symptoms’ as key public health bodies make urgent plea
Senior public health leaders from across the UK have accused accuse Boris Johnsonof “letting Covid rip” by relaxing legal restrictions tomorrowon Monday, amid warnings that a growing wave of infections will intensify a summer NHS crisis. The rebuke comes as it emerged that the health secretary Sajid Javid was among those to have tested positive for Covid, despite being fully vaccinated. He said he had mild symptoms and was awaiting the results of a more accurate PCR test.
It creates a headache for the prime minister should Javid test positive again. Under test and trace rules, anybody who has been in contact with Javid in the previous 48 hours would have to self-isolate. The health secretary is understood to have visited No 10 on Friday. That would leave Johnson in the uncomfortable position of spending so-called “freedom day” stuck inside No 10.
