Wife says Cummings was in bed for 10 days while he 'picked up son from hospital'

Inconsistencies are being pointed out between Dominic Cummings’ account of his trip to Durham on lockdown and that of his wife Mary Wakefield.

Boris Johnson’s top adviser insists he did not break down coronavirus lockdown rules and that he travelled with his four-year-old son and symptomatic partner to secure childcare in case they both fell ill. During an address at the Downing Street rose garden, the political strategist says his child was taken to hospital during their stay on April 2 after throwing up and coming down with a fever.

Mr Cummings told the nation he drove to pick him up the following day. But this doesn’t add up with Ms Wakefield’s account of their self-isolation, published in Spectator Magazine, which suggests he was unable to get out of bed during this time.

The PM’s adviser says his wife fell ill on March 27, prompting him to rush home from Downing Street to take care of her, before returning to work despite spending time with someone who was highly likely to have Covid-19.

In her article, Ms Wakefield says: ‘That evening as I lay on the sofa, a happy thought occurred to me: if this was the virus, then my husband, who works 16-hour days as a rule, would have to come home. I let myself imagine a fortnight in bed with mild symptoms, chatting to Dom and son through an open door. More fool me. My husband did rush home to look after me.

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‘He’s an extremely kind man, whatever people assume to the contrary. But 24 hours, he said ‘I feel weird’ and collapsed. I felt breathless, sometimes achy, but Dom couldn’t get out of bed.

‘Day in, day out for ten days he lay doggo with a high fever and spasms that made the muscles lump and twitch in his legs. He could breathe, but only in a limited, shallow way. After the uncertainty of the bug itself, we emerged from quarantine into the almost comical uncertainty of London lockdown.’

According to Cummings the family drove to Durham overnight, arriving at midnight. He added: ‘When I awoke the next morning, Saturday March 28, I was in pain and clearly had Covid symptoms including a headache and a serious fever.

‘Clearly I could not return to work anytime soon. For a day or two we were both ill, I was in bed, my wife was ill but not ill enough to require emergency help.’

According to Ms Wakefield, April 2 was ‘day six’ and a ‘turning point’ of Cummings’ illness. She said he had difficulties breathing and feared he would have to go to hospital.

That same day, Mr Cummings says his son threw up and came down with a bad fever, prompting the parents to call 999. He says his wife went with the child in an ambulance to hospital where he spent the night.

He added: ‘In the morning, my wife called to say that he had recovered, seemed back to normal. Doctors had tested him for Covid and said they should return home. There were no taxis.

‘I drove to the hospital, picked them up, then returned home. I did not leave the car or have any contact with anybody at any point on this short trip.’

But based on Ms Wakefield’s story, her husband would have been bed-bound and unable to drive until at least April 6.

In her article she describes a range of symptoms including ‘numbness in their fingertips’ and ‘spasms’, but nothing to do with impaired eyesight as her husband had claimed.

Mr Cummings says on April 12 he went on a 60-mile round trip to Barnard Castle to ‘test his vision’ before embarking on their journey back to London.

He denies stopping off to go sightseeing with his family, which would have been against lockdown rules at the time.

Police Federation chairman John Apter has since warned members of the public not to drive if they think their eyesight might be impaired.

He said: ‘Folks, I say this in all sincerity and as an important road safety issue. If you’re feeling unwell and your eyesight may be impaired do not drive your vehicle to test your ability to drive. It’s not a wise move.

‘As a former road death investigator with Hampshire police I have investigated many serious collisions, including fatalities.

‘Some of these were caused by drivers with impaired vision, this is a serious issue. Do not drive if your eyesight is impaired or you feel unwell.’

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