Recipe from the Times: Want a distraction from coronavirus? Get BoJo’s pooch story… a fake one

The outbreak of coronavirus has ratcheted up anxiety levels in the UK, especially in light of a health minister contracting the disease, but the Times has provided a distraction with a ‘fake news’ story about Boris Johnson’s dog.

On Tuesday evening, it emerged that Junior Health Minister Nadine Dorries had tested positive for coronavirus, less than a week after attending an event hosted by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The diagnosis at the heart of government has sent shockwaves through Westminster, which has apparently prompted Rupert Murdoch’s newspaper to print a story about Downing Street’s dog – Dilyn.

An article published by the Times suggested that Johnson and his fiancé Carrie Symonds were considering ditching the dog they adopted just months ago after becoming “weary” of the pooch. The paper claimed that Dilyn was “sickly” and defecated around its home in No. 10.

The claims have ostensibly been branded ‘fake news’ by Johnson’s partner. The ‘hard-hitting’ allegations were strongly refuted by Symonds in a tweet posted on Wednesday, telling her followers: “What a load of total cr*p...100% bs.”

Symonds’ harsh rebuttal came after the bizarre story had gone viral on Twitter – providing a welcome temporary distraction to coronavirus – the dominant news item in the UK over the last few weeks.

The UK has confirmed over 450 cases of the lethal virus – with six fatalities – which has infected over 120,000 people and killed more than 4,300 worldwide. While the outbreak began in China’s Hubei province, major flare-ups have since emerged in Japan, South Korea, Iran, and Italy, with confirmed cases in over 100 countries total.

So Britons can breathe a big sigh of relief; Covid-19 may still be a major threat to their way of life – but at least the dog stays in Downing Street.

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