Defence Secretary Ben Wallace apologises for 'slipping up' after shaking man’s hand

The Defence Secretary has apologised for “slipping up” after he shook a man’s hand on his way to a cabinet meeting this morning.

Ben Wallace was pictured shaking hands with someone on his way to a socially distanced meeting of Boris Johnson's top table.

The meeting was held in the Foreign Office because there is more space for all the cabinet ministers to socially distance than Downing Street.

Asked if hand shaking was now permissible, the PM’s spokesman said: “No. the Defence Secretary recognises the mistake and apologises for slipping up.

“He knows the importance of social distancing and will be extra careful in future.”

The Government’s latest Covid-19 slogan is: “Wash hands, cover face, make space.”

Official Government guidance says: “Whilst recognising this will not always be possible, it is important to be aware that the risk of infection increases the closer you are to another person with the virus, and the amount of time you spend in close contact with them.”

The Government recommends people keep two metres away from each other as a precaution or one metre when you can mitigate risks with precautions such as face masks.

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