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A second British MP today confirmed she had tested positive for coronavirus.
Labour MP for Jarrow Kate Osborne said she has been diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus following a period of self-isolation and subsequent testing.
Ms Osborne worked for Royal Mail for 25 years and only assumed her seat in the December general election. Today she urged the community to “band together and support the most vulnerable”.
She is one of at least 15 MPs who self-isolated last week, either because they had symptoms or because they met Health Minister Nadine Dorries.
Ms Dorries was the first MP to be diagnosed and has later revealed her mother, in her 80s, also tested positive.
(Image: Jonathan Hordle/ITV/Shutterstock)
Ms Osborne tweeted today: “I have been diagnosed with Coronavirus (#covidー19uk) following a period of self isolation and subsequent testing.
“I will continue to self isolate until I have fought off the illness, but in the meantime I would encourage everyone to band together and support the most vulnerable in our communities.
“The NHS are urging people to stay at home for 7 days if you have either a high temperature or a new, continuous cough.
(Image: PA)
“If you are displaying any symptoms yourself, please self isolate and visit http://111.NHS.UK or call 111 for advice.
“To all of my constituents, you can still contact me and my staff by emailing Kate.osborne.mp@parliament.uk
“Thank you, Kate.”
Boris Johnson will hold daily coronavirus press conferences from today after he was urged to “speak directly to the public”.
The Prime Minister will address the media over the pandemic alongside chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance.
The first of the daily briefings will come after the PM chairs a Cobra committee meeting expected to focus on plans to shield elderly and vulnerable citizens, household isolation and mass gatherings.
But Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said the government had only taken up the move following demands from Labour.
He urged the PM to do more – saying people must be offered holidays on rent as well as mortgages, and more must be done to end the five-week wait for Universal Credit.
Dame Louise Casey, who led a government review on inequality, added people should continue donating to food banks to avoid a shortage of tinned goods.
Meanwhile Jeremy Corbyn could go into self-isolation if a blanket demand is made of all people over 70, his right-hand man said.
(Image: House of Commons/PA)
Mr Corbyn, who steps down as Labour leader on April 4, recently turned 70. Shadow Chancellor Mr McDonnell said: “We’ve got to listen to the medical advice, follow that.”
Mr McDonnell said the modelling behind the advice must be made public so if it has to be contested, it can. But he told the BBC: “If there is a recommendation of self-isolation of certain age groups or people with certain conditions no matter what their age, we should follow that medical advice.”
No 10 announced the plans to hold televised daily briefings after Mr Johnson received criticism over an apparent lack of transparency in the fight against Covid-19.
The cross-party unity in the fight against the outbreak had begun to fray with both Labour and Lib Dem figures calling for daily updates.
No10 aide Dominic Cummings said this morning: “The government will be making further announcements today.”
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Plans were confirmed over the weekend to ask over-70s to self-isolate for up to four months as they are most at risk from the disease.
However those plans have not been enacted yet.
A Cabinet minister today insisted over-70s will not be banned from walking their dog despite plans to keep them isolated for months.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told the BBC: “It is the case that people will be able to go out and walk their dog. It’s about being sensible, not mixing in crowds.”
Ms Shapps also said train services may be stripped back amid the virus crisis.
(Image: PA)
Grant Shapps said he will be meeting with train operators this week and there was no point running “ghost trains” if people cut back on travel.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It’s quite clearly an exceptional international moment in time, international crisis.
“We need to be flexible as a country to react to that and I’ll be driven by, amongst other things, the demand.
“There’s no point running ghost trains any more than running ghost planes.
“But those are conversations which are ongoing.”
