UK’s Liz Truss tests positive for coronavirus on eve of Ukraine visit

The foreign secretary will now work from home until she leaves isolation.

News Moderator - Tomas Kauer News Moderator - Tomas Kauer
Feb 1, 2022 - 18:50
UK’s Liz Truss tests positive for coronavirus on eve of Ukraine visit

Britain’s Foreign Secretary Liz Truss tested positive for coronavirus Monday evening just hours before a planned trip to Ukraine.

“Thankfully I’ve had my three jabs and will be working from home while I isolate,” Truss said on Twitter.

Truss had been due to travel to the eastern European country Tuesday for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, amid mounting tensions over Russia’s military build-up at the border. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is still due to make the trip.

Truss is the second U.K. cabinet minister to contract coronavirus in a matter of days after the Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi confirmed he had tested positive Sunday.

Earlier Monday the foreign secretary addressed the House of Commons, announcing a toughened sanctions scheme aimed at hitting Russian individuals and businesses if Moscow goes ahead with an invasion of Ukraine. She also sat three seats along from Johnson without a mask while he answered questions about the civil servant Sue Gray’s report on the “partygate” scandal.

According to Sky News, Truss also attended a meeting of the 1922 committee of backbench Tory MPs on Monday evening, along with Johnson and several other cabinet ministers.