Boris Johnson’s pregnant fiancee Carrie Symonds has left him in Downing Street and is self-isolating with their dog Dilyn today after the Prime Minister tested positive for coronavirus.
Ms Symonds, 32, who is around six months pregnant with the baby due in the early summer, has not seen her 55-year-old partner for the ‘last few days’.
She now faces an anxious wait to see if she has been exposed to coronavirus because Mr Johnson could have been contagious for up to a fortnight before he developed symptoms yesterday.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman today refused to comment on Carrie’s whereabouts, health or whether she has been tested too.
But Telegraph commentator Camilla Tominey, a friend of Carrie’s, told ITV’s This Morning: ‘She’s in Camberwell with Dilyn the dog so she will not have any contact with the prime minister over the last few days’.
Carrie and Boris bought their Victorian four-bedroom home in Camberwell, south London for £1.3million last July, when he became Prime Minister.
There is no evidence that pregnant women become more severely unwell if they develop coronavirus – but doctors believe they are more likely to catch an infection than women who are not pregnant.
Pregnant Carrie Symonds is in self-isolation after her fiance Boris Johnson fell ill with coronavirus (pictured together on March 9 at Westminster Abbey)
Downing Street only hinted that the PM’s pregnant fiancee Carrie Symonds is not living with Mr Johnson in Downing Street at present.
Asked whether Ms Symonds is also living in their flat above Number 11, the PM’s official spokesman said: ‘The Prime Minister of course follows all of the guidelines which have been issued by Public Health England in full.
‘His circumstance is such that he will be required to self-isolate for seven days.’
The spokesman said meals and work would be left at the door of the Prime Minister’s flat.
Earlier this month Mr Johnson and England’s chief medical doctor Professor Chris Whitty announced pregnant women should follow the same advice as the over-70s and people with underlying conditions by self-isolating at home for 12 weeks at least.
The Prime Minister, 55, was tested for coronavirus in Number 10 after experiencing mild symptoms on Thursday.
In a video on his Twitter account, Mr Johnson said he had developed a temperature and a persistent cough.
He added: ‘I’m working from home and self-isolating and that’s entirely the right thing to do.
‘But, be in no doubt that I can continue thanks to the wizardry of modern technology to communicate with all my top team to lead the national fightback against coronavirus.
‘I want to thank everybody involved and, of course, our amazing NHS staff.’
A Downing Street spokeswoman said the PM was tested on the personal advice of England’s chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty.
She added: ‘The test was carried out in No 10 by NHS staff and the result of the test was positive.
‘In keeping with the guidance, the Prime Minister is self-isolating in Downing Street.
‘He is continuing to lead the government’s response to coronavirus.’
Earlier in the week it was announced that the Prince of Wales was also suffering ‘mild symptoms’ of the disease.
The PM announced measures to protect pregnant women earlier this month. Among his recommendations were for particularly vulnerable people to stay indoors for 12 weeks.
The ‘period of shielding’ has been implemented at a time where there will be maximum protection, coinciding with the peak of the disease.
This four-bedroom, three-storey red brick Victorian terraced house in south London (above) is the £1.3m love nest bought Boris Johnson and his PR exec partner Carrie Symonds last July
The couple’s new home – in a trendy part of south London overlooking a park – features two receptions rooms (pictured), four double bedrooms and two bathrooms and ground floor toilet
He said: ‘In a few days time, by this coming weekend it will be necessary to go further and to ensure that those with the most serious health conditions are largely shielded from social contact for around 12 weeks.
‘Again, the reason for doing this in the next few days rather than earlier or later is that this is going to be very disruptive for people who have such conditions.
‘This advice about avoiding all social contact is particularly important for people over 70, for pregnant women and for those with some health conditions.’
England’s chief medical doctor Professor Chris Whitty said extending the advice to pregnant women was a precaution.
He said: ‘The group of people who we would want to take this advice particularly seriously are older people above 70, people who in adult life would normally be advised to have the flu vaccination, so these are people with chronic diseases such as chronic heart disease or chronic kidney disease, and also – as a precautionary measure because we are early in our understanding and we want to be sure – women who are pregnant.
‘Those are the groups we want to take particular care to minimise their social contact which of course will have very significant risks for them.’
Social media users expressed their confusion over the measures to ‘protect’ pregnant women announcec earlier this month