JEREMY Corbyn has claimed that a construction worker suffering from coronavirus has admitted to using the London Tube as he had “no choice” but to carry on working.
At his last PMQs session today Jeremy Corbyn told the horrifying tale of a worker who felt like he had to go in anyway or he wouldn’t be paid.
The Labour boss demanded that all non-essential construction work be stopped immediately to halt the spread of the virus.
Ministers have said as long as all workers stay two metres apart that they can carry on coming in, sparking a huge row.
Mr Corbyn asked Boris Johnson today: “We heard on the radio a call from a self employed construction worker who said that he had contracted coronavirus, he was suffering from it, and had no other option but to get on the London Tube and go onto a site to work, obviously putting himself and all other passengers and all other workers on that site at risk.
“Why was he doing it? His site had not been closed down, he had no other source of income to feed his family.
“So he is going to work, making all of us be more at risk as a result. Can the PM be absolutely clear and give unequivocal guidance that construction work and non-emergency work should stop now?”
However, the PM could only say that people are allowed to go into work if they can’t do their jobs at home.
Any businesses who can’t make sure their workers stay two metres apart should be shut, ministers said earlier.
Boris said: “Everybody should work at home unless they must go to work and cannot do work from home. They should do so in accordance wit advice from Public Health England”.
He added: “What we are saying is unless you need to leave the house for exercise, for medical reasons or buy essential supplies, is to stay at home, and save lives.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon have both said they should be staying home too like most of the country.
The Mayor said this morning: “You can’t keep a safe distance on sites so the virus will spread and more people will die.
“I’ve repeatedly asked Ministers to ban non-essential work. Scotland already has – as has TfL. We need action today.”
Daily footage shows builders and other workers being forced to cram into trains and Tubes to get to work.
And this morning up to 1,000 workers at the meat producer Moy Park, Portadown, walked out over safety concerns.
Boris and other ministers insisted the building work would contain vital maintenance that simply had to be done.
Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick was taken apart by the Good Morning Britain host, Piers Morgan.
He said: “We have to keep essential services and the economy moving forward.
“We need to ensure that services are delivered and the critical infrastructure of the country is maintained.”
But Piers yelled back: “You’re putting money above lives, aren’t you?
“How are you going to feel with a policy that is opposite against country like France if the UK death rate explodes because you didn’t lock down the country properly?”