UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has tested positive for coronavirus, and has now gone into self-isolating at his Downing Street residence
Boris Johnson, 55, experienced mild symptoms on Thursday, a day after he answered at the prime minister’s weekly question-and-answer session in parliament’s House of Commons chamber, and received the positive test result at around midnight.
“I’ve taken a test. That has come out positive,” Johnson said on Friday in a video statement broadcast on Twitter. “I’ve developed mild symptoms of the coronavirus. That’s to say – a temperature and a persistent cough.
“So I am working from home. I’m self-isolating,” Johnson said. “Be in no doubt that I can continue, thanks to the wizardry of modern technology, to communicate with all my top team to lead the national fightback against coronavirus,” UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.
British health minister Matt Hancock said later on Friday morning that he has also tested positive and is self-isolating at home with mild symptoms.
Boris Johnson is the first leader of a major power to announce a positive test result for coronavirus. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau went into isolation earlier this month after his wife tested positive for the virus.
U.S. President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have both been tested, so far with negative results.
Johnson chaired a government meeting on the coronavirus on Friday morning via teleconference.
“Coronavirus can and does affect anyone. Everyone be safe. Our own health depends on everybody else,” said Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the opposition Labour Party, in a message wishing Johnson a speedy recovery.
Meanwhile, the number of deaths in the UK rose by 181 as of 5pm on March 26, up from 578 confirmed as of 5pm the previous day.
Johnson has chaired some of the government’s daily press conferences, but will now have to step back, his spokesman said, repeating that Johnson, his team and ministers were all adhering to the guidelines set out by the National Health Service.
The moment Johnson felt symptoms he took steps to avoid close contact with anyone, a spokesman said, adding that ministers would need to self-isolate if they developed symptoms. The spokesman was unaware of further testing among senior ministers.