BORIS Johnson continued visiting sites in Scotland despite knowing he had been in close contact with someone who had Covid-19, according to reports.
Downing Street claimed that the Prime Minister would not be self-isolating as he had not come into "close contact" with the aide who tested positive.
However, The Guardian's Aubrey Allegretti reported a source as saying the two had been "side-by-side" just 24 hours before while visiting Glasgow.
A source told CNN that the aide was alongside Johnson for much of that Wednesday, before boarding a plane with the Prime Minister to Aberdeen.
READ MORE: Boris Johnson staffer tests positive for Covid during Scotland visit
CNN reported that the aide tested positive upon landing in Aberdeen, at which point they and several others went into isolation. Johnson was not one of them.
He then went on to visit an offshore windfarm after boarding a boat at Fraserburgh Harbour with business minister Kwasi Kwarteng.
A Downing Street source told CNN that the Prime Minister was "tested in advance of traveling to Scotland and had a further PCR test," before visiting an offshore wind farm on the final day of his trip.
However, official UK Government guidance for quarantine states that a negative PCR test is no reason to end isolation "as you may still develop Covid-19".
Scottish Government guidance reinforces this, stating: "If you have been in close contact with someone who has Covid-19, you will be asked to self-isolate for 10 days. This is because if you have the virus, it may take some time for it to develop into an illness (the 'incubation period' of the virus)."
Furthermore, the UK Government's site says: "A person may also be a close contact if they have travelled in the same vehicle or plane as a person who has tested positive for Covid-19."
READ MORE: Boris Johnson visited Scots vaccine lab despite being warned of Covid outbreak
Labour MPs hit out at the news, with the party's deputy leader Angela Rayner writing: "Someone is lying. And I know who has lied before…"
Shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds said the Prime Minister was trying to "cook up" reasons why he should be above the rules which apply to everybody else.
It is not the first time the Prime Minister has seemed to ignore Covid advice in a trip to Scotland.
It emerged earlier this year that, during his visit in early February, Johnson visited the Valneva vaccine production facility in Livingston despite having been forewarned of a virus outbreak at the site.
Valneva said Downing Street had been informed of the outbreak but continued with the visit regardless, a move which the SNP branded "grossly irresponsible".
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