Coronavirus: Lloyd Russell-Moyle becomes third MP to test positive

'If we are serious about the WHO advice of ‘Test, Test, Test’ then we need to do better than this', MP says

(Parliament)

Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle has tested positive for the Covid-19 coronavirus, the politician has confirmed.

Mr Russell-Moyle, who joined the commons in 2017 and represents Brighton Kemptown, confirmed he had contracted the virus after waiting for six days on the result of a test.

“I felt symptoms last Wednesday, immediately self-isolated and called 111”, he said in a statement to Facebook. "I had a home visit and was tested on Thursday, this was the last day of community testing.

“I received the result this afternoon after 6 days of waiting”.

Mr Russell-Moyle is the third member of parliament to have tested positive for the virus, alongside junior health minister Nadine Dorries and Labour’s Kate Osborne.

The MP, who is HIV positive, went on to criticise the testing procedures being carried out in the UK government.

“If we are serious about the WHO advice of ‘Test, Test, Test’ then we need to do better than this”, he said.

“My understanding is that a manufacturing plant in Northern Ireland is exporting 15-minute COVID tests around the world because our NHS is not ordering them. We have University labs who are willing to assist with testing but aren’t yet.

“Our priority must be testing our healthcare workers, who are currently needing to self-isolate for 14 days when someone in their house shows a symptom, taking them away from their life-saving work.

“This is the greatest test our NHS has ever faced, an NHS that was already under strain.

“I have every confidence that we have the skills and resources to beat this virus, but only if we take radical steps to reorganise and reprioritise our system.”

Among those rallying around the MP was shadow home secretary Diane Abbott. "So sorry hear you have tested positive", she said. "Definitely a need to restart community testing. If they can find billions to bail out business, then they can find money for a robust testing regime. So important for NHS & other frontline workers".