Clacton MP Giles Watling is self-isolating at home after running a temperature and feeling “rough” over the weekend.

He is staying at his home in the constituency for seven days – but he is able to work and will be keeping up with his staff by phone and computer and is preparing for a surgery on Friday even though he will not be able to attend in person.

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He said: “My temperature is a bit higher than normal, nothing excessive, about 100F and I’m feeling a bit rough but nothing too bad. I’m still busy here but I’m self isolating and staying a couple of metres away from my wife, which is rather unusual!”

Like many other MPs, Mr Watling had already moved his staff away from London back to the constituency – and said that from what he had heard the Palace of Westminster was “Like a Ghost Town” with very few MPs or their staff actually in the building to try to stay safe from the coronavirus.