Boris Johnson won’t isolate after staffer tested positive for Covid and people are furious

Boris Johnson, the prime minister, will not isolate after one of his staffers tested positive for Covid, it has been announced – despite the government’s own guidance stating that those who have been in contact with a positive case need to stay at home for 10 full days.

The Guardian reported that the civil servant and Mr Johnson were, according to a senior government source, “side-by-side” on several occasions during a two-day trip around Scotland on Wednesday and Thursday.

On the first day of the tour, the staffer went with Mr Johnson to a police college, before flying together as part of the PM’s journey. They were tested afterwards, and that’s when the official’s result came back positive.

Speaking to The Guardian, a Downing Street 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.”

As for the plane trip, it’s reported that the two were “sat at opposite ends of a large cabin”.

Mr Johnson’s lack of isolation comes almost a month after both he and chancellor Rishi Sunak were contacted by NHS Test and Trace over health secretary Sajid Javid’s positive test.

The pair first got out of having to isolate, as part of a “daily contact testing” pilot scheme – before a public outcry forced them to make a u-turn and confirm they would self-isolate.

Now, the prime minister’s lack of isolation has once again infuriated members of the public, with #OneRuleForThem trending on Twitter:

Now we wait to see whether another u-turn is due…