Coughing Boris Johnson refused to isolate just before he was diagnosed with Covid, beating his chest and proclaiming he was “strong like bull”, it has emerged.
Bombshell fresh claims about the Prime Minister were made by a No10 insider as he clings onto his job over rule-breaking Downing Street parties.
Mr Johnson tested positive for Covid on March 27 and was later admitted to intensive care and almost died.
Guidance on March 16 said anyone with a “new continuous cough”, “however mild”, must self-isolate at home.
Yet in the days leading up to his isolation, No10 have admitted the Prime Minister was “commuting” between his country retreat Chequers and London.
And now a source has told The Times that he was coughing noticeably, before his formal diagnosis on March 27.
The insider said: "He said he was 'strong like bull' and banged his chest.
"He was advised that he might have Covid but he rejected it.
“He had a really bad cough but he was walking round the office and holding meetings."
In bombshell claims, the insider also said the PM had face-to-face meetings even AFTER he isolated on March 27.
It was alleged staff briefed him in the same room, and at one point members of Mr Johnson’s private office went into the room where he was isolating to help with IT.
Downing Street has not denied the claims. A spokesperson told The Times: "Appropriate measures were taken to ensure the PM was isolated."
The PM's official spokesman said: "I've seen those reports. As you'll know the PM tweeted about that in March, saying 'Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus and [I'm] now self isolating' and I don't have anything beyond that."
Pressed again, the spokesman said the PM "acted in accordance with the rules at the time".
Asked if Mr Johnson told people he was "strong like a bull", the spokesman said: "I don't recognise those words."
Days ago, claims emerged that No10 staff had to erect a makeshift “puppy gate” to keep the PM - who has nicknamed himself ‘big dog’ - breaking isolation.
“I remember we had to create a ‘cat run’ for him to get down from the flat to his office so he wouldn’t come into contact with people,” an insider said.
“The idea was we could talk to him through the open door. But he kept on coming out so we put two chairs across the door like some kind of puppy gate.
“There was a pattern throughout. He just simply did not think about following the rules. They were not for him.”
Boris Johnson ’s former aide Dominic Cummings claimed last year that the PM “regarded [Covid] as just a scare story” and “described it as the new swine flu” in early 2020.
Mr Cummings also explosively claimed the PM ranted “we should never have done lockdown 1”, and tried to see the Queen in person for his weekly audience despite the raging pandemic.
And on 12 March 2020, he said, “the Cabinet Secretary said ‘Prime Minister, you should go on TV tomorrow and explain to people the herd immunity and that it’s like the old chicken pox parties - we need people to get this disease because that’s how we get herd immunity by September’.”
