Former Well being Secretary Matt Hancock has confirmed this night that he has examined constructive for Covid-19 – seven months after he resigned from workplace after being caught kissing his married aide in his Westminster workplace.
The disgraced politician took to Twitter this night to share the information that he had examined constructive for the virus and that he was now isolating at house.
Hancock beforehand examined constructive for Covid-19 through the early levels of the pandemic, again in March 2020.
And 7 months in the past, the notorious kiss between Hancock and his aide Gina Coladangelo broke social distancing tips, that he himself pushed for as Well being Secretary, forcing him to step down.
The disgraced politician took to Twitter this night to share the information that he had examined constructive for the virus and that he was now isolating at house
Tweeting this night, Mr Hancock mentioned: ‘Yesterday afternoon I examined constructive for Coronavirus.
‘I have been isolating at house since then. Fortunately I really feel fantastic. A lot better than final time and that is due to the vaccine.’
On the finish of his tweet, Mr Hancock added that these individuals in Britain who’ve but to obtain a vaccine towards Covid-19 ought to go and get one.
‘Get your booster now if you have not already,’ he mentioned.
Hancock beforehand spoke concerning the impression Covid-19 had on him after he contracted the virus the primary time.
Seven months in the past, the notorious kiss (pictured) between Hancock and his aide Gina Coladangelo broke social distancing tips, that he himself pushed for as Well being Secretary, forcing him to step down
Talking to Sky Information in April 2020, he mentioned: ‘It’s tough, particularly when you’re on the downhill a part of it – it’s extremely worrying as a result of we have all seen how critical it could get.
‘I had a few days when it was actually very disagreeable and I’ve misplaced about half a stone.’
Hancock’s constructive Covid take a look at comes seven months after he resigned as Well being Secretary after he was caught on CCTV passionately kissing his married aide Gina Coladangelo towards the door of his Whitehall workplace in June 2021.
He misplaced his job when it emerged they have been seeing one another regardless of her being his aide and them breaking social distancing guidelines that he had himself created.
Hancock, who served as Well being Secretary between 2018 and 2021, initially tried to experience out the political storm over his breach of Covid restrictions, however finally resigned
Mr Hancock tried to experience out the political storm over his flagrant breaches of Covid-19 rules and his marital infidelity however was finally compelled to resign.
When requested on the ITV’s Peston final month whether or not he was shocked Boris Johnson didn’t sack him, Mr Hancock mentioned: ‘I am not going to enter the conversations that I had with the Prime Minister.
‘I made the choice [to resign], it was clearly proper choice. And I simply say, sorry once more for the failure of… I let lots of people down and I am sorry to the individuals who I harm.’
The bombshell expose of Mr Hancock’s affair along with his aide, who was married to Oliver Bonas founder Oliver Tress, compelled him to resign as well being secretary.
The information comes because the day by day Covid instances fell by almost 45 per cent in every week at this time within the greatest drop since Omicron took off — as an knowledgeable claimed the UK could be the primary nation within the northern hemisphere to tame the pandemic.
There have been 120,821 new constructive checks logged throughout the nation over the previous 24 hours, in keeping with Authorities dashboard knowledge, down from the pandemic excessive of 218,000 final Tuesday. It marks the sixth day in a row infections have fallen week-on-week and strongly suggests the fourth wave is subsiding in little over a month.
There may be now rising optimism the UK’s outbreak will comply with an identical trajectory to South Africa’s, the place the virus has nearly utterly fizzled out after changing into the Omicron epicentre in November.
One other 379 Covid deaths have been additionally registered throughout the UK at this time, up greater than seven occasions on the low determine of 48 final week. Deaths are all the time artificially larger on Tuesdays attributable to reporting lags on the weekend however final week’s toll was additionally affected by the Financial institution Vacation.
On the finish of his tweet this night, Mr Hancock (file picture) inspired others to go and get their Covid vaccination
The loss of life fee has remained comparatively flat regardless of Omicron pushing an infection charges to document highs, and there are round 5 occasions fewer fatalities now than through the second wave final January.
There are rising requires No10 to study to reside with Covid slightly than deal with halting the unfold of the virus now there’s such a giant disconnect between infections and deaths. Remaining restrictions may begin to be lifted this month, it was claimed at this time.
The promising statistics got here as Professor David Heymann, an epidemiologist from the London Faculty of Hygiene and Tropical Drugs (LSHTM), advised the UK was on the point of beating the pandemic.
He instructed an internet briefing: ‘Typically, now, the international locations we all know greatest within the northern hemisphere have various levels of the pandemic. And doubtless, within the UK, it is the closest to any nation of being out of the pandemic if it is not already out of the pandemic and having the illness as endemic as the opposite 4 coronaviruses.’
Final Tuesday included a number of days of Covid instances in Northern Eire, which could have made the weekly drop in infections artificially steeper at this time. However infections have been nonetheless massively down in England and London.
Talking on the briefing, run by the Chatham Home think-tank, Professor Heymann mentioned inhabitants immunity was already excessive within the UK by a mix of its highly-successful vaccine programme and excessive an infection charges.
He added: ‘Which means immunity towards critical sickness and loss of life after an infection if one is vaccinated, or after re-infection if one has had sickness earlier than, and that inhabitants immunity appears to be protecting the virus and its variants at bay, not inflicting critical sickness or loss of life in international locations the place inhabitants immunity is excessive.
‘I appeared on the ONS (Workplace for Nationwide Statistics) most up-to-date report on inhabitants immunity and so they estimated about 95 per cent of the inhabitants in England and rather less than in different components of the UK do have antibody to an infection both from vaccination or from pure an infection.
‘And that antibody, as I mentioned, is protecting the virus at bay. And it is now functioning extra like an endemic coronavirus than one that could be a pandemic.’