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UK health minister tests positive for COVID-19

A UK Health minister Nadine Dorries has become the first MP to be diagnosed with coronavirus, prompting concerns about the potential spread of the illness at Westminster. According to a report in The Guardian, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) confirmed that Dorries, the Conservative MP for Mid Bedfordshire since 2005 had tested positive for the infection. The identity of the individual who infected her is unknown. Focus will now fall on tracking down and testing the potentially hundreds of people Dorries will have been in contact with in the past week, both in parliament and at the health department.

The report quotes Dorries as saying: “I can confirm I have tested positive for coronavirus. As soon as I was informed, I took all the advised precautions and have been self-isolating at home. Public Health England has started detailed contact tracing and the department and my parliamentary office are closely following their advice. I would like to thank PHE and the wonderful National Health Service (NHS) staff who have provided me with advice and support.”

[link url="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/10/health-minister-nadine-dorries-diagnosed-with-coronavirus"]Full report in The Guardian[/link]

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