India-origin British minister Alok Sharma met PM, Sunak before his coronavirus test

London, June 4

Britain’s Business Secretary Alok Sharma had met UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing Street simply earlier than he was examined for coronavirus after feeling unwell on the despatch field within the House of Commons on Wednesday.

The 52-year-old Indian-origin minister, seen feeling uneasy and sweating throughout a debate on the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill in parliament, is self-isolating at dwelling whereas he waits for the test outcomes.

If it comes again positive, Johnson and Indian-origin Finance Minister Sunak would additionally must self-isolate for 14 days beneath the UK authorities steering.

“He did attend a meeting in Number 10… That was a discussion on the economy and in terms of who was present, it was the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and the Business Secretary,” a Downing Street spokesperson stated, including that the two-metre distance rule had been met as all conferences on the UK PM’s workplace are “socially distanced”.

“He does not yet have his test results. Should the Secretary of State [Sharma] receive a positive test then he will work with the test and trace service to share information about his recent interactions,” the spokesperson stated.

Under the test and hint system, the federal government recommendation is for all “close contacts” who would have been in an contaminated particular person’s neighborhood for greater than 15 minutes should get examined and go into self-isolation at dwelling.

Senior authorities figures have tried to downplay the problem, saying the Reading West Conservative Party MP, who was born in Agra, might have a extreme case of hay fever or a seasonal allergic response.

However, if the test outcome comes again positive for the novel coronavirus, Sharma will be a part of Johnson and UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock as yet one more senior member of the UK authorities to be struck by COVID-19.

“Alok Sharma began feeling unwell when in the Chamber delivering the second reading of the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill,” a spokesperson for the minister stated.

“In line with guidance he has been tested for coronavirus and is returning home to self isolate,” the spokesperson stated.

Shadow enterprise secretary, Labour’s Ed Miliband, was seen passing the minister a glass of water as he seemed visibly unwell.

The minister was amongst a whole lot of MPs seen queuing for hours on Tuesday to solid their votes beneath new social distance guidelines as parliament returned to a bodily setting after a hybrid model, which concerned distant attendance by MPs through screens arrange within the chamber.

Sharma’s sickness will renew issues expressed by a number of MPs over the return of bodily voting after digital voting was discontinued.

While solely a restricted variety of MPs are allowed to sit down inside the Commons chamber at any given level, Leader of the Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg had stipulated the return of all parliamentarians to the Palace of Westminster in central London.

He has confronted backlash from all sides of the House over the choice to desert digital voting choices, together with from MPs with well being situations who’re unable to take part in proceedings.

Lisa Nandy, Labour’s Indian-origin shadow international secretary, was amongst those that expressed concern following Sharma’s sickness.

“The government stopped MPs from working from home and asked us to return to a building where social distancing is impossible. MPs are travelling home to every part of the country tonight. Reckless doesn’t even begin to describe it.”  

Many of the MPs had posted pictures on social media of the lengthy snaking queue throughout the Parliament complicated on Tuesday as they lined as much as solid their vote whereas attempting to take care of the requisite two-metre distance to forestall the transmission of the lethal virus.

A House of Commons spokesperson stated: “The House’s precedence is to make sure that these on the property are secure whereas enterprise is facilitated.

“We have closely followed guidance from PHE [Public Health England] on action to take following a suspected case of Covid-19 on site, including additional cleaning. Our risk assessment outlines the measures we have already put in place to reduce the risk of transmission in parliament.” PTI