UK health minister admits virus rules breach with embrace

Britain’s health minister has apologized for breaching social distancing rules after a newspaper ran pictures of him embracing a woman with whom he allegedly had an affair

LONDON -- Britain’s health minister apologized Friday for breaching national coronavirus restrictions after a newspaper ran pictures of him embracing a woman with whom he allegedly had an affair. Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who has led the country’s response to the pandemic, is the latest in a string of British officials to be accused of breaching restrictions they imposed on the rest of the population to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The tabloid Sun newspaper ran images appearing to show the married Hancock and a senior aide kissing in an office at the Department of Health. It said the closed circuit television images were taken May 6 — 11 days before lockdown rules were eased to allow hugs and other physical contact with people outside one’s own household. Hancock said in a statement that “I accept that I breached the social distancing guidance in these circumstances."