No 10 says he was not in close contact with a staffer who tested positive during a visit to Scotland.
image sourceReuters
Downing Street says Boris Johnson will not self-isolate, after a member of his staff tested positive for Covid during a trip to Scotland.
No 10 said the visit was carried out in line with Covid protocols, and the prime minister has not been in close contact with a positive case.
But one source told the BBC that Mr Johnson had been close to the person who tested positive.
Labour accused the PM of “cooking up a reason to be above the rules”.
Mr Johnson visited Scotland on Wednesday and Thursday, travelling to the central belt and the north east.
It’s understood the member of staff accompanied him on a visit to the Police College in Fife on Wednesday.
It’s also understood the person travelled with the prime minister on a plane on the same day.
The source told the BBC the prime minister and staff member were “side-by-side” at points during the visit to Scotland.
Anyone traced as close contact of a positive case currently have to self-isolate at home for 10 days under government rules.
A Number 10 spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister regularly visits communities across the UK and all aspects of visits are carried out in line with Covid guidance.
“The Prime Minister has not come into close contact with anyone who has tested positive.”
Government guidance says someone “can be” a close contact if they have had a face-to-face conversation within one metre with someone testing positive.
Or, they can have been within one metre for one minute without face-to-face contact, or within two metres of the person for longer than 15 minutes.
The 15-minute period can count as a single contact, or multiple contacts over the course of one day.
The guidance says someone “may also” be a close contact if they have travelled in the same vehicle or plane as the person testing positive.
image sourcePA Media
Labour party chair Anneliese Dodds said: “It’s clear the prime minister hasn’t learned anything from what happened last time he tried to cook up a reason to be above the rules everyone else has to follow.”
“Senior Conservatives are really taking the public for fools. This is yet another example of one rule for them and another for everyone else.”
Mr Johnson recently left a period of self-isolation, when he was identified as a contact of Health Secretary Sajid Javid, after he tested positive last month.
Along with Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who was also identified as a contact, the PM initially tried to avoid quarantine through a workplace daily testing pilot Downing Street is taking part in.
However, in a rapid U-turn, both Mr Johnson and his chancellor decided to enter isolation after their plans to take part in the scheme prompted a furious political backlash.