Health minister Nadine Dorries tests postive for coronavirus
Health minister Nadine Dorries is in self isolation after testing positive for coronavirus.
The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the UK has hit 382 and six people in the UK have died from the virus so far.
It was confirmed yesterday that the latest person to die was a man in his 80s with underlying health conditions.
In a statement yesterday Dorries, the first MP to test positive for the virus, said “Public Health England has started detailed contact tracing and the department and my parliamentary office are closely following their advice.”
She later wrote on Twitter that “it’s been pretty rubbish but I hope I’m over the worst of it now”.
She added: “More worried about my 84 year old mum who is staying with me and began with the cough today. She is being tested tomorrow.
“Keep safe and keep washing those hands everyone.”
Health secretary Matt Hancock tweeted that he was “really sorry” to hear of Dorries’ diagnosis. “She has done the right thing by self isolating at home,” he said.
The government is expected to announce resources to help the NHS and introduce measures for the self employed and small businesses to protect them from the economic effects of the outbreak in today’s budget.
Meanwhile, Public Health England is boosting the number of people it can test each day from 1,000 to 10,000, with test results accelerated.