Labour MP Yasmin Qureshi said she has been admitted to hospital with pneumonia after testing positive for Covid-19
A Labour MP in Greater Manchester has been admitted to hospital with pneumonia after testing positive for coronavirus.
Married Yasmin Qureshi, 57, who represents Bolton South East, began to feel unwell two weeks ago before having the test.
The shadow international development minister, a former Crown Prosecution Service barrister, said she and her family then self-isolated at home, but she began to feel much worse ten days later and went in to Royal Bolton Hospital on Saturday.
Ms Qureshi – whose husband Nadeem Ashraf works for her as a caseworker and administrative officer – added that she was ‘being very well looked after’ and praised the ‘wonderful staff’ at the hospital.
She said: ‘Two weeks ago, I began to feel unwell. I then tested positive for Covid-19, so my family and I immediately self-isolated at home. I have not travelled to Westminster or anywhere else.
‘I continued to work as best I could remotely, attending virtual meetings and doing casework, but after ten days, I began to feel much worse and on Saturday I was admitted to the Royal Bolton Hospital with pneumonia.
‘I’m being very well looked after and have nothing but praise and admiration for the wonderful staff at the hospital.
‘They have been amazing throughout the process and I would like to extend my thanks to everyone working here in such difficult circumstances.
The shadow international development minister revealed the news in a Facebook statement
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer tweeted that his ‘thoughts are with my friend Yasmin Qureshi’
‘Although I am currently in hospital, my staff are continuing to work as normal – if you have any issues that you need help with, please get in touch by contacting the office on [email protected].’
Just over a month ago she warned some people were not taking the pandemic seriously enough and believed it was a hoax.
She told The Manc: ‘They genuinely believe it’s some kind of conspiracy.
‘A lot of them don’t understand the rules either and so there are many who just aren’t following them – they think it is a way of controlling them somehow.
‘It is very dangerous. There is a lot of confusion about the virus in the area.
‘There are a lot of people now who do not believe it is true.’
After news of her illness broke Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer tweeted: ‘My thoughts are with my friend Yasmin Qureshi who has been admitted to hospital after being diagnosed with Covid-19.
‘My thanks go to the staff caring for Yasmin at the Royal Bolton Hospital, along with NHS staff across the country who are on the frontline against Covid-19.’
The rolling seven day average of Covid-19 cases in Greater Manchester is falling in recent days
It comes as the row over Greater Manchester’s coronavirus status is set to end within days – either with a deal which could see tens of millions of extra funding for the region or with the imposition of harsh restrictions from Westminster.
Greater Manchester’s leaders have resisted moving into Tier 3, which would see pubs and bars ordered to close as part of a package of strict measures, but Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said it was time for ‘decisive action’.
He said a range of support had been offered to the region, including ‘more resources for local councils’, greater involvement in contact tracing and the potential use of the military to assist local authorities.
Greater Manchester’s mayor, Andy Burnham, has pressed for a Commons vote to break the ‘impasse’.
Senior Conservatives, including the influential chairman of the 1922 committee, Sir Graham Brady, have backed the Greater Manchester mayor in resisting Tier 3 for the region.
Mr Burnham called for MPs to help workers and businesses hit with the harshest restrictions by having an urgent debate this week, warning ‘this is not just a Greater Manchester issue’.
Ms Qureshi was admitted to the Royal Bolton Hospital (above) on Saturday with pneumonia
Mr Jenrick said there had been ‘productive’ negotiations with Greater Manchester but Monday’s talks would be the ‘final discussions’.
Liverpool City Region received a £44 million package as part of its Tier 3 measures, but Greater Manchester wants more extensive support – including a furlough scheme paying 80 per cent of wages for affected workers.
Treasury sources said Chancellor Rishi Sunak would not get in the way of a deal, but said he would not cave in to Mr Burnham’s demand for a return to the 80 per cent furlough scheme for people whose workplaces are forced to close.
Mr Burnham will be under renewed pressure to accept a lockdown after the Guardian reported a leaked NHS document revealed Greater Manchester is set to run out of beds to treat those seriously ill with Covid-19 and that some of the region’s 12 hospitals are already full.