Maskless Liz Truss pictured huddled with ministers in Commons hours before testing positive for Covid

Foreign secretary accused of putting others at risk

Liz Truss has been criticised for not wearing a face mask in a packed House of Commons on Monday afternoon, just hours before she tested positive for Covid-19.

The foreign secretary was in parliament to back Boris Johnson, as he sought to stabilise his premiership in the wake of the publication of Sue Gray’s redacted partygate report.

During the debate, Ms Truss sat beside health secretary Sajid Javid, who was wearing a face covering, and home secretary Priti Patel, who was not.

The Tory frontbencher then attended a meeting of Conservative MPs, in which the prime minister attempted to shore up support and to stave off any potential challenges to his leadership.

The South West Norfolk MP discovered later on Monday that she had contracted the virus.

“I tested positive for Covid this evening,” she tweeted. “Thankfully I’ve had my three jabs and will be working from home while I isolate.”

Commentators were quick to point out that she had been maskless in parliament on Monday, with some accusing her of endangering others.

“No mask, not a care in the world as you potentially put those around you at risk,” one social media user wrote, adding that her approach “summed up” the government’s handling of the pandemic.

A maskless Liz Truss sits in the Commons on Monday (UK Parliament )

Meanwhile, the academic Dr Jennifer Cassidy encouraged Ms Truss to “wear a damn mask” when she returns to the Commons.

Speaking on Tuesday morning, the deputy prime minister Dominic Raab defended his ministerial colleague’s decision not to wear a mask.

“I’m not sure [a mask] would have made a difference,” he told Times Radio.

As a result of her positive Covid-19 test, Ms Truss will no longer accompany Mr Johnson on a trip to Ukraine, where the pair were due to talk to the country’s leaders about the build-up of Russian troops at its border.

The education secretary Nadhim Zahawi also tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday.