THE leader of Southend Council has tested positive for Covid-19, with fellow councillors thrown into self-isolation.

Labour leader Ian Gilbert, is understood to have tested positive on Thursday, missing the full council meeting as a result, while Labour councillor Matt Dent will now self-isolate for two days.

The Echo understands the council leader has been double vaccinated.

Mr Dent believes he came into contact with someone at the pub, where he was watching the Euros final, who then tested positive days later.

The Kursaal councillor has urged the Government to introduce hybrid council meetings, with several councillors missing council meetings due to self-isolation.

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He said: “I don’t think there’s any other alternatives.

“MPs do it in Parliament, where they use a system so they can appear virtually in the House of Commons.  “We could do it here, we have a screen in the chamber.

“We managed it in lockdown.  “It’s disturbing council work at the moment.”

Mr Dent will be forced to miss the development control committee on Wednesday.

He also made a jibe at Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who U-turned on a decision to not self-isolate after health secretary Sajid Javid tested positive for the virus last week.

No 10 initially said Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak would not have to isolate, as they were taking part in a pilot scheme that involves daily testing instead.

But opposition parties said it suggested there was “one rule for them and another for the rest of us”.

Councillor Dent added: “The app has pinged me as having been near someone who has tested positive for Covid.  “And as I’m not the PM, I won’t be devising some sort of pilot scheme to get out of it.”

Tony Cox, leader of Southend’s Tories, added: “I support this 100 per cent, and we need it.

“We’ve had councillor Bright and Buckley miss meetings recently.

“It’s frustrating because they’re well enough.

“Councillors missing meetings could affect the way things are voted on.

“It would be pretty simple to do, and we managed to do it in lockdown.”

The most likely solution would be to use Microsoft Teams to allow councillors to take part virtually.

Paul Collins, cabinet member for corporate services and performance delivery, said: “At the start of the Covid 19 pandemic, the Coronavirus Act 2020 made temporary provision to allow public meetings of Council, Cabinet and committees where all participants would not be in the same location i.e. remote or hybrid meetings.

"Regulations were duly made by the Secretary of State and most local authorities moved to remote meetings.

“However, the Regulations lapsed on 7 May 2021 – meaning that since that date, remote and hybrid public meetings are no longer permissible. Therefore if a councillor has to self-isolate they cannot participate remotely, they will need to appoint a substitute if this possible, or send their apologies,

“Should the Government is considering a change in the law to permit remote and hybrid meetings then it will be communicated fully.

"However, it is important to stress that this decision lies with Government and not the local authority.”

Ian Gilbert was contacted for comment.