British prime minister Boris Johnson and finance minister Rishi Sunak will both self-isolate in line with national guidance, abandoning heavily criticised plans to take part in a pilot scheme that would have allowed them to continue working.
“He will not be taking part in the testing pilot,” a spokesman from Johnson's office said.
“He will continue to conduct meetings with ministers remotely. The Chancellor (Sunak) has also been contacted and will also isolate as required and will not be taking part in the pilot.”
Health minister Sajid Javid on Saturday said he had tested positive for Covid-19.
Typically, anyone identified as a contact by the tracing scheme is required by law to self-isolate for 10 days.
However, the government's two most senior ministers had earlier said they would instead take part in a pilot study that allows them to continue working from their offices, and only self-isolate when not working.
Mr Johnson will now be confined to home on so-called “freedom day” on Monday when most statutory lockdown restrictions end in England.
My positive result has now been confirmed by PCR test, so I will continue to isolate and work from home.
Here’s a handy reminder of which test you may need and when: pic.twitter.com/cX7Ypye3X6— Sajid Javid (@sajidjavid) July 17, 2021
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The initial decision to avoid self-isolation and the subsequent U-turn by Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak is likely to anger thousands of people being forced to miss work after being “pinged” by the NHS Covid app.
Businesses have been pressing for the app to be overhauled and made less sensitive amid concerns that staff shortages mean they cannot operate effectively.
London Underground became the latest to succumb on Saturday when the Metropolitan Line was forced to close because of a lack of control room staff.
While most Covid restrictions lift in England on Monday the rules on self-isolating for contacts of people who test positive are not eased until August 16th.
Then people who are double-jabbed will be able to take tests rather than quarantine at home.
Communities secretary Robert Jenrick said members of the public who are pinged should still self-isolate.
He said the test-and-release pilot that Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak had hoped to use was being trialled by about 20 public sector organisations including Border Force and Transport for London.
