A North Tyneside man forced to cancel vacation and work and missed his aunt’s funeral and wedding after being contacted by Test and Trace beat up the Prime Minister and the Chancellor.
The politicians were contacted by NHS Test and Trace after coming into contact with Health Minister Sajid Javid, who tested positive.
No. 10 originally said Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak did not need to self-isolate and would instead take part in a daily contact test pilot so they could keep working from Downing Street.
Read more: Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak Will Isolate In Covid-19 Reversal
However, a Downing Street spokesman has confirmed that the Prime Minister and Chancellor will not be participating in the pilot and will instead self-isolate.
The dramatic U-turn came after a public backlash and the move was slammed by politicians on Sunday morning.
30-year-old music director Mal Hall was forced to cancel a vacation, make work commitments, miss his great-aunt’s funeral and a friend’s wedding after being pinged by Track and Trace.
Mal has returned three negative Covid-19 tests since he was contacted but is still required to self-isolate for 10 days under government regulations.
Mal of Whitley Bay said, “It’s just ridiculous. It’s a rule for them, a rule for us.
“I’m more wrong because I follow the rules and stick to them and not just say, ‘Damn, I’ll just do what I want to do’.
“The concern for me is that I think this will lead to more people not caring about it. It is a precedent to say that then I will not care.
“Are we surprised that they won’t isolate themselves and that there is a pilot project that they can follow? I unfortunately do not.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson (left) and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak will now self-isolate
The music director and pianist conductor has not worked for almost 15 months but traveled to a Green List country after securing a job on a cruise ship.
He believes someone tested positive for coronavirus on the flight home and was contacted as a result.
He added, “I had lateral flow tests that were all negative, I have no symptoms, nothing, but that doesn’t stop me from getting out of 10 days of isolation.
“I had booked a short holiday in Lancashire for the canceled weekend, my great-aunt’s funeral on Friday, which I couldn’t attend.
“I’m supposed to be teaching in Edinburgh next week, which has been booked for some time and had to cancel and then I have to cancel my friend’s wedding at the end of next week.”
Hundreds of angry ChronicleLive readers used social media to share their outrage over the so-called “Pingdemic” that did not seem to affect the government.
One woman said, “This is exactly why normal working class people start to ignore their rules.
“Millions self-isolate, hundreds of thousands of children miss their last week of school due to the pathetic bladder system, NHS and other businesses are breaking down due to staff isolation, and this is where Rishi and Boris comfortably partake in a trial.” You are an absolute joke. “
Another said, “It seems very practical that when it affects you there is suddenly this new process. Still, I wonder if we need to look at a new strategy for self-isolation – maybe people should take a test when pinged and then isolate if it’s positive?
“I don’t know, but obviously it’s been very disruptive lately, including for the NHS, and that should protect everything.”
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One man said: “If we are to completely lift all Covid measures (which I think is wrong) we have to change the track and trace or millions of people have to isolate and the industry will be massively affected. This so-called freedom day could be the opposite with isolating millions. “
One reader who was forced to close his business after being identified as a close contact said, “I have to isolate myself after having close contact with someone who has Covid-19 so I’m in the same category like the two.
“They can test themselves every day and run around and do what they want while I isolate myself, shut down my business that was closed for over a year, and then get no help and no income for 10 days.
“Absolutely cancel that ghost.”
Labor leader Sir Kier Starmer said the move was a “slap in the face for those who have made sacrifices for self-isolation”.
Before adding, “This conservative government is in chaos.
“Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have tried again to set the rules in order to benefit themselves.
“They didn’t withdraw until they were found out.
“They are like failed bank robbers who only offered to return the money because they were caught.”
Labor Deputy Leader Angela Rayner called the couple “liars. Fraud. Charlatans. Fraudsters ”on Twitter.
After hearing the news that the couple would self-isolate, she added: So it’s not a pilot? It’s just something you made up because you didn’t want to isolate yourself like the plebs?
“If people delete the app now and don’t isolate themselves when pinging, then every further Covid case is the direct responsibility of the Prime Minister and the Chancellor.”
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