Boris Johnson continued Scotland trip despite official testing positive for Covid-19

Downing Street sources confirmed {that a} member of employees obtained a positive check outcome and is following the "appropriate guidance", however insisted that the trip -- which ended Thursday -- was in full compliance with Covid steerage. The Prime Minister "has not come into close contact with anyone who has tested positive," Downing Street stated.

According to the Scottish authorities, which units its personal guidelines on healthcare individually from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, shut contacts of anybody who has examined positive for Covid-19 will probably be requested to self-isolate "for 10 days from symptom onset in the symptomatic person."

An in depth contact is outlined as "someone who has been physically close enough to the confirmed case for a long enough period of time, that they may have had the virus transmitted to them."

It is just not clear what standards was utilized to the officers who had been requested to self-isolate. When requested why Johnson was not self-isolating, a Downing Street supply stated that the Prime Minister was "tested in advance of traveling to Scotland and had a further PCR test," earlier than visiting an offshore wind farm on the ultimate day of his trip.

It is feasible that Johnson did not come into shut contact with the staffer who examined positive, as strictly outlined by the steerage. But up to now, the federal government has been criticized for not adhering to the broad thrust of the principles it units.

Johnson's go to was a part of his long-term objective of displaying his private help for Scotland remaining within the United Kingdom and combating the undercurrent of help for Scottish independence.

While Scots voted 55% in favor of remaining within the United Kingdom in 2014, Brexit and the pandemic have boosted help for a brand new referendum.

In the 2016 Brexit referendum, 62% of voters in Scotland had been in favor of remaining within the European Union. In the next years, Scottish nationalists have constructed an argument that Scotland was dragged out of the EU in opposition to its will due to voters in England. Johnson led the marketing campaign for the UK to depart the EU in 2016.

Despite Johnson's professed affection for Scotland and his self-appointed function as Minister for the Union, he's a divisive determine in Scotland. Unionists have questioned whether or not he's the most effective individual to make the case for Scotland staying within the United Kingdom.