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| Coronavirus: Cabinet minister self-isolates after test | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| A cabinet minister is self-isolating while awaiting the results of a coronavirus test. | A cabinet minister is self-isolating while awaiting the results of a coronavirus test. |
| The minister, whom the BBC is not naming, was tested after coming into contact with health minister Nadine Dorries at a Downing Street reception. | |
| Ms Dorries has tested positive for the virus and is self-isolating at home. | Ms Dorries has tested positive for the virus and is self-isolating at home. |
| It comes as the UK is expected to move to the "delay" phase of its coronavirus response when the government's Cobra committee meets on Thursday. | |
| That is the stage at which "social distancing" measures will be considered - which could include restrictions on public gatherings above a certain number of people. | |
| Health minister Edward Argar, a colleague of Ms Dorries, has also self-isolated on the advice of officials. | |
| Self-isolating is the advice currently being given to people who have recently returned from affected countries or have been in close contact with a person who has tested positive for the virus. | Self-isolating is the advice currently being given to people who have recently returned from affected countries or have been in close contact with a person who has tested positive for the virus. |
| It means staying at home, not going to work, school or other public places, and avoiding public transport or taxis, in an attempt to avoid spreading the virus. | It means staying at home, not going to work, school or other public places, and avoiding public transport or taxis, in an attempt to avoid spreading the virus. |
| Delay phase | |
| Thursday's emergency Cobra committee meeting will be chaired by the PM, a day after the UK saw its biggest rise in cases - up to 460, with two more deaths, bringing the total to eight. | |
| For now, the UK remains in the "containment" phase of the outbreak, which aims to halt the spread of the disease. | |
| The delay phase could see the introduction of "social distancing" and other measures to slow its progression. | |
| The emergency Cobra committee last met on Monday, when it was decided the UK should remain in the containment phase. | |
| The UK's strategy on responding to the virus has three phases: containment, delay, mitigation and - running alongside these - research. | |
| The move to delay could results in people who show even minor signs of respiratory tract infections or fever soon being told to self-isolate. | |
| The delay phase aims to lower the peak impact of the virus and push it away from the winter season - when pressures on the NHS are more acute because of issues including seasonal flu. | |
| Delaying the impact of the outbreak could also buy time for the testing of drugs and initial development of vaccines and/or improved therapies or tests to help reduce the impact of the disease. | |
| Earlier, Chancellor Rishi delivered his first Budget, pledging billions of pounds of investment to get the country through the coronavirus outbreak. | |
| He also said the NHS would get "whatever resources it needs". | He also said the NHS would get "whatever resources it needs". |
| It came as the World Health Organization upgraded the status of the outbreak to a pandemic, |