Shadow health secretary self-isolating after testing positive for COVID

Published

4 years ago

November 26, 2021

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Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth has tested positive for COVID-19 and is self-isolating.

The leading Labour MP said he will be “out of action for a bit” after announcing he had tested positive on Friday morning.

He did not say whether his family or members of his staff have also tested positive for COVID or are self-isolating.

The MP used his situation to warn that although “huge strides have been made” there is “still a lot of virus circulating”.

Mr Ashworth added: “So get your jab and booster, do routine lateral flow tests, wear masks in crowded places.”

He also urged the government to “fix sick pay and ventilation”.

The shadow health secretary has previously pushed the government to invest in better ventilation for businesses, public spaces and schools.

Speaking in the Commons last month, he said: “Better ventilation has been proven, time and again, to reduce the transmission of COVID.

“In addition, it brings other health benefits.”

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Mr Ashworth joins a host of other politicians who have contracted coronavirus, including Boris Johnson and Sir Keir Starmer.

The current rules in England mean anybody who tests positive must self-isolate for 10 days.

People must also self-isolate and get a PCR test if they have a high temperature, a new, continuous cough or a loss or change to their sense of smell or taste.

Since 16 August, people who are fully vaccinated have not had to self-isolate if a household member tests positive or has symptoms.

Politics

New Hampshire approves first-of-its-kind $100M Bitcoin-backed municipal bond

Published

47 mins ago

November 19, 2025

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New Hampshire approves first-of-its-kind 0M Bitcoin-backed municipal bond

New Hampshire has approved the issuance of a $100 million municipal bond backed by Bitcoin, in what appears to be the first structure of its kind at the US state level.

Minutes from a Nov. 17 meeting of the New Hampshire Business Finance Authority (BFA), the state’s business financing agency, show the board planned “to consider approving a resolution authorizing up to $100,000,000 bonds for a project to acquire and hold digital currency.”

Minutes from the following day record that directors voted to “approve the preliminary official intent, with no reservation, to issue a taxable conduit revenue bond for WaveRose Depositor, LLC of up to $100,000,000.”

According to a Wednesday Crypto in America report, the bond is backed by Bitcoin (BTC) and would let companies borrow against overcollateralized BTC held by a private custodian. The state or taxpayers do not back the bond; instead, BFA approves and oversees a private deal, while Bitcoin — reportedly held in custody by BitGo — covers investors.

According to the report, asset manager Wave Digital Assets and bond specialist Rosemawr Management designed the bond to utilize Bitcoin as collateral under the same rules that govern municipal and corporate bonds. Wave co-founder Les Borsai said the goal is to “bridge traditional fixed income with digital assets” for institutional investors.

New Hampshire, United States — *The New Hampshire State House in Concord. Source:* *Wikimedia*

“We believe this structure shows how public and private sectors can collaborate to responsibly unlock the value of digital assets and digital asset reserves,” he added.

The borrower is expected to post approximately 160% of the bond’s value in Bitcoin as collateral, and if the price of BTC drops below roughly 130%, a liquidation would ensure that bondholders stay whole. According to BFA Executive Director James Key-Wallace, fees from the transaction will fund the local innovation and entrepreneurship program, the Bitcoin Economic Development Fund.

New Hampshire dives headfirst into crypto

The news follows New Hampshire becoming the first US state to allow its government to invest in cryptocurrencies in May after Governor Kelly Ayotte signed a bill allowing the municipality to “invest in cryptocurrency and precious metals.”

New Hampshire is also working on a bill to deregulate local cryptocurrency mining operations. In late October, a committee voted 4–2 to send the measure for further review in an interim study after it had been deadlocked in the State Senate twice.

The local administration is viewed as particularly welcoming to the cryptocurrency industry. In early February, Brendan Cochrane, an Anti-Money Laundering specialist at YK Law in New York City, argued that it could become an alternative for crypto companies relocating to the Bahamas.

The latest moves build on a longer history of crypto engagement. Back in 2015, New Hampshire was already working on a bill that would have allowed the state government to accept tax and fee payments in Bitcoin.

The bill ultimately failed in 2016, but it shows how early the local administration began to show interest in this asset class. Additionally, as early as 2016, some advocates were already arguing that New Hampshire was among the world’s most Bitcoin-friendly communities.