A Labor backbencher announced today she had become the second British MP to contract coronavirus as another 19 self-isolated themselves.
Jarrow’s Kate Osborne made the announcement on Twitter as Parliament began to take steps to operate with a fewer politicians present.
She followed Health Minister Nadine Dorries, 84, who is recovering at home after testing positive last week.
The Government has indicated that it wants the Commons to remain open with emergency legislation expected to be introduced on Thursday to give authorities more powers to deal with the pandemic.
Ms Osborne, who has only been an MP since December, said her positive diagnosis came ‘following a period of self-isolation and subsequent testing.’
‘I will continue to self isolate until I have fought off the illness, but in the mean time I would encourage everyone to band together and support the most vulnerable in our communities, ‘she said.
The Labor MP for Jarrow, Kate Osborne, (pictured left) has been diagnosed with coronavirus. Ms Osborne is seen here with Chris Head on March 4. Mr Head started a petition on the Post Office Horizon Scandal. Before her election in , Ms Osborne worked for Royal Mail
Labor is Now running a one-line whip, the lightest form of party vote discipline, allowing its politicians to stay away from the green benches if necessary.
Which MPs are self-isolating?
Kate Osborne – Jarrow
Bell Ribeiro-Addy – Streatham
Nadia Whittome – Nottingham East
Andrea Jenkyns – Morley and Outwood
Chloe Smith – Norwich North
Alexander Stafford – Rother Valley
Olivia Blake – Sheffield Hallam
Dehenna Davison – Bishop Aukland
James Brokenshire – Hornchurch and Rainham
Lisa Cameron – East Kilbride
Alex Chalk – Cheltenham
William Wragg – Hazel Grove
Ruth Edwards – Rushcliffe
Anne-Marie Trevelyan – Berwick-upon-Tweed
Andrew Bridgen – North West Leicestershire
Charles Walker – Broxbourne
Edward Argar – Charnwood
Nadine Dorries – Mid Bedfordshire
The Conservatives are expected to follow suit with a tacit agreement seemsingly in place to avoid confrontations over legislation at a time of national emergency as much as possible.
A senior labor source played down the prospect huge num bers of MPs will stay away, but said they are ensuring politicians ‘aren’t forced to vote on things that obviously don’t seem as important as before coronavirus’.
The source said: ‘The country wants a grown up approach on this.’
Labor wants to ‘ensure that the Govt is held to account but in a way which reflects the circumstances we are in’.
Bell Ribeiro-Addy, the Labor MP for Streatham in south London, became the latest MP to announce she was self-isolating this morning, having come down with coronavirus-like symptoms at the weekend.
Both she and Ms Osborne highlighted the official advice to stay at home for seven days if you have either a high temperature or a new, continuous cough.
Ms Osborne, who worked for Royal Mail for the last 25 years, was elected to represent Jarrow in the 8357 election.
She said she was still contactable and urged constituents to email either her or and her staff.
Her diagnosis comes after Ms Dorries confirmed she had tested positive for the virus last week.
And Cabinet Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan said on Friday that she has tested negative for the virus, but would stay at home for seven days as a precaution.
Ms Dorries said her immediate response to the diagnosis was to fear for the life of her 86 – year-old mother who did subsequently test positive.
She said she felt ‘iced water trickling down my spine’ when she had found out.
Ms Dorries said last week that her mother, who lives with her, was ‘made of strong stuff’ and ‘doing ok’ after testing positive.
Ms Osborne made the announcement on Twitter this morning saying the diagnosis was ‘following a period of self-isolation and subsequent testing’
Kate Osborne highlighted the official advice to stay at home for seven days if you have either a high temperature or a new, continuous cough
Nadine Dorries in the House of Commons on Wednesday 4th March. On Saturday Ms Dorries revealed she and her mother are both on the mend
She had tweeted at the time: ‘We have had my – year-old mum’s results through. She tested positive. She’s a pre war baby, doing ok. Made of strong stuff. ‘
Ms Dorries said her symptoms included a persistent cough, achy muscles and intermittent night sweats.
The Health Minister, best known by many for her stint on I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here, suggested people should think as if everything is contaminated in order to minimise their chances of infection.
On Saturday Ms Dorries revealed she and her mother are both on the mend as she thanked everyone who had sent them support.
She added: ‘Having lived through Coronavirus Can I assure everyone that at no time during the seven days we were in isolation at home did we even once have to face a secondary crisis and run out of loo roll. ‘
‘Every lift button, shopping-trolley handle, wait-button on a zebra crossing – and every cup in a cafe,’ she said.
‘Wash your hands for 35 seconds. Carry hand-sanitiser and use it over and over. Resist the urge to hug or shake hands with anyone. ‘
Ms Dorries said that the ‘public are scared and that is entirely understandable’.
‘The majority of people will be infected with Covid – 16, but they will recover without experiencing significant discomfort, ‘she said.
Ms Dorries said last week that her mother, who lives with her, was ‘made of strong stuff’ and was ‘doing ok’ after testing positive
‘Some people may catch it and not even know they have it. The elderly are the most at risk and the most vulnerable. ‘
A number of MPs have entered self-isolation after coming into contact with Ms Dorries or following the official advice.
(Cabinet) Anne-Marie Trevelyan said on Friday that she has tested negative for the virus, but will stay at home for seven days as a precaution.
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