The Health Minister said she had made an “error of judgement”
(Picture: House of Commons )A Health Minister has apologised for remaining in a meeting despite testing positive for Covid.
Minister of State for Care and Mental Health, Gillian Keegan, admitted she received a positive test result during a meeting with three fathers who had lost their daughters to suicide on Tuesday.
She stayed for a short period to “hear their stories” and informed them of her result before taking “further precautions”.
Ms Gilligan later admitted her decision to remain in the meeting had been an “error of judgement”.
In a trio of tweets, the health minister apologised for the mistake and said she will now isolate at home.
She said: “When I was told my test was positive I was listening to three fathers who had tragically lost their daughters to suicide.
“I told them the result and took further precautions but with their consent, I stayed for a short period to hear their stories.
“I should have immediately ended the meeting and on reflection this was an error of judgement on my part.
“I fully recognise the importance of following the letter and spirit of the policies, so want to be upfront about what happened and to apologise for the mistake I made.”
When I was told my test was positive I was listening to three fathers who had tragically lost their daughters to suicide. I told them the result and took further precautions but with their consent, I stayed for a short period to hear their stories. 2/3
— Gillian Keegan (@GillianKeegan) February 8, 2022
A spokesman for Sajid Javid said he accepted the minister’s apology.
They said: “The Secretary of State has spoken with the minister who has taken responsibility for her actions and made a full apology.
"He accepts her apology and continues to support her in her role."
London Mayor, Sadiq Khan was asked to comment on the story on Wednesday morning and admitted he would have acted differently to the Tory MP.
Speaking to Kay Burley he said: “I would always err on the side of caution and let people know before leaving as soon as I can.”
He concluded: “I haven’t seen the details of the case but I certainly would’ve left the meeting.”
Under Government guidelines, if you test positive for Covid you must self-isolate immediately.
This guidance is regardless of whether you have received one or more doses of the vaccine. Once testing positive, you must take a test on days five and six. Self-isolation ends on days six if both tests are negative.
