(Newswire.net — March 29, 2020) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is positive for the Covid-19, his cabinet said.
Johnson exhibited mild symptoms in the last 24 hours, including fever and cough, and will lead the government in fighting the crisis from self-isolation in Downing Street, the statement reads.
According to the statement Johnson was tested following the personal advice of the head of the English health service. England’s Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he had also tested positive while England’s Chief Medical Officer, Prof Chris Whitty, has shown symptoms, the BBC reports.
Johnson was last seen in public on Thursday night when he clapped ahead of Downing Street 10, as part of a nationwide gesture of gratitude to the National Health Service.
In a video he posted on his Twitter profile, Johnson, 55, said: “I’m working from home and self-isolating and that’s entirely the right thing to do.
“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,” Johnson tweeted.
He also thanked the National Health Service staff and as well as everyone who stays at home during the Covid-19 crisis.
“That way we will win,” Johnson wrote.
Earlier this week, a spokesman for the prime minister said that in the event that Johnson becomes ill and unable to work, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, as the first secretary of state, is the elected minister to replace him.
It is unknown if Johnson will continue living with fiancé Carrie Symonds, who has been pregnant for several months.
Pregnant women are advised to be especially cautious when applying social distance counseling as well as to reduce all social contacts over the next 12 weeks while the virus outbreak subsides.
In his Twitter message, Johnson also said that it was very moving last night to join the national clamor for healthcare professionals.
Johnson was seen at several daily government television conferences last week where he appeared alongside senior health leaders to inform the country about news regarding the Covid-19 spread.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman confirmed that the Queen had seen Johnson more than two weeks ago on March 11.
The two usually meet every week for a PM’s meeting with the Queen but have made their last couple of appointments over the phone.
The Prince of Wales is also positive for the coronavirus, it was announced earlier this week. Prince Charles, 71, has mild symptoms, “but is otherwise in good health,” his spokesman said.
In the United Kingdom, another 181 people have died from the virus in the past day, figures showed, which takes the total number of UK deaths to 759, with 14,543 confirmed cases.