United Kingdom Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, said he had developed mild symptoms over the past 24 hours, including high temperature and cough, and has tested positive for coronavirus.
He was tested at No 10 by NHS staff, on the personal advice of England’s chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, Downing Street said.
According to World Health Organisation statistics as at 12:00 pm on Friday, there are 9,533 confirmed coronavirus cases and 463 deaths in the UK.
Earlier this week the prime minister’s spokesman said if Mr Johnson was unwell and unable to work, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, as the first secretary of state, would stand in.
“But, 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 fight-back against coronavirus”, Johnson said.
He remains in charge of the government’s handling of the crisis and is understood to have chaired a phone call on Friday morning.
“I am now self-isolating, but I will continue to lead the government’s response via video-conference as we fight this virus.
