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| Coronavirus: Matt Hancock's social distancing slip-up caught on camera | Coronavirus: Matt Hancock's social distancing slip-up caught on camera |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Health Secretary Matt Hancock has been spotted slapping a colleague on the back in the House of Commons, despite social distancing measures in place to curb the spread of coronavirus. | Health Secretary Matt Hancock has been spotted slapping a colleague on the back in the House of Commons, despite social distancing measures in place to curb the spread of coronavirus. |
| Mr Hancock's moment of apparent forgetfulness happened as he arrived to Prime Minister's Questions. | Mr Hancock's moment of apparent forgetfulness happened as he arrived to Prime Minister's Questions. |
| He and other ministers have repeatedly urged the importance of people keeping two metres away from one another. | He and other ministers have repeatedly urged the importance of people keeping two metres away from one another. |
| The Department of Health has been contacted for comment. | The Department of Health has been contacted for comment. |
| In a clip which quickly garnered thousands of views after it was posted on Twitter, the health secretary can be seen putting his arm across a colleague's shoulder as he enters the Commons. | |
| A third MP then comes and stands beside both of them, before the man in the middle steps back. | A third MP then comes and stands beside both of them, before the man in the middle steps back. |
| Mr Hancock then steps across to fill the gap to speak to the third MP, before moving back again. | Mr Hancock then steps across to fill the gap to speak to the third MP, before moving back again. |
| Mr Hancock announced he had tested positive for coronavirus in March - shortly after Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed his own positive test. | Mr Hancock announced he had tested positive for coronavirus in March - shortly after Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed his own positive test. |
| While Mr Johnson had to spend several days in intensive care, Mr Hancock had mild symptoms. | While Mr Johnson had to spend several days in intensive care, Mr Hancock had mild symptoms. |
| Scientists have said it is likely that people who have already had the virus will have some immunity to it, but that everyone must still stick to social distancing rules. | Scientists have said it is likely that people who have already had the virus will have some immunity to it, but that everyone must still stick to social distancing rules. |
| The World Health Organization said in May that there was "currently no evidence" that people who have recovered from the virus are protected from a second infection. | The World Health Organization said in May that there was "currently no evidence" that people who have recovered from the virus are protected from a second infection. |
| Speaking in the Commons after the slip-up, Mr Hancock defended why the government has not yet reduced social distancing from two metres to one metre - something many businesses have said will be crucial to their recovery as they reopen. | Speaking in the Commons after the slip-up, Mr Hancock defended why the government has not yet reduced social distancing from two metres to one metre - something many businesses have said will be crucial to their recovery as they reopen. |
| "It's the sort of thing of course we want to lift and we need to do that in a way that is careful and safe," Mr Hancock said. | "It's the sort of thing of course we want to lift and we need to do that in a way that is careful and safe," Mr Hancock said. |
| "The scientists are reviewing it, along with the economists, and we will take forward the further measures on this when it's possible and safe to do so." | "The scientists are reviewing it, along with the economists, and we will take forward the further measures on this when it's possible and safe to do so." |
| A review into the two-metre rule will be completed "in the coming weeks", No 10 said on Monday. | A review into the two-metre rule will be completed "in the coming weeks", No 10 said on Monday. |
| World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines suggest a one-metre distance sufficiently reduces the spread of the virus. | World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines suggest a one-metre distance sufficiently reduces the spread of the virus. |
| But the government's scientific advisers say that being one metre away from others carries up to 10 times the risk of being two metres apart. | But the government's scientific advisers say that being one metre away from others carries up to 10 times the risk of being two metres apart. |