British PM Boris Johnson tests positive for Covid-19
LONDON, March 27, 2020
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested positive for coronavirus, after he under went tests on developing mild symptoms over the past 24 hours, including a temperature and cough, reported BBC.
Johnson, 55, said he was self-isolating in Downing Street but added that he will "continue to lead the government's response via video-conference as we fight this virus".
Johnson was last seen on Thursday night, clapping outside No 10 as part of a nationwide gesture to thank NHS staff and carers, said the report.
UK's Health Secretary Matt Hancock too has tested positive for the coronavirus. He is self-isolating at home and his symptoms are said to be mild, the report added.
The news comes days after Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth II's son and the first in line to the British throne, tested positive for coronavirus. He too is now self-isolating in Scotland.
The latest figures showed 9,529 had tested positive for coronavirus and 463 had died in the UK with London the worst-hit part of the country, reported The Sun.
The number of cases across the UK climbed by 1,427 from 6,650 - hitting 8,077 in just 24 hours, it added.
In a video on his Twitter account, Johnson 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 against coronavirus," he stated.
"I want to thank everybody involved and, of course, our amazing NHS staff," he added
The prime minister's fiancée Carrie Symonds, who is several months pregnant, is also self-isolating, although it is not known if they are still living together, stated the BBC report.
No 10 has previously confirmed that if the PM couldn’t work – the foreign secretary Dominic Raab would take over in his role as first secretary of state. At the moment, that’s not happening.
The question now is who the PM has had contact with and who else will need to be tested, reported BBC.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has not been tested yet because he’s shown no symptoms.
Measures had been taken to limit contact in Downing Street; cabinet earlier this week was largely by conference call and the daily briefing has gone digital too.
However, the PM has been in Parliament in recent days and hosted some senior figures in person for cabinet, as well as the chief medical officer, it stated.
Meanwhile. eight more people in Scotland have died from coronavirus, taking the total to 33, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced.
The total number of positive diagnoses in Scotland has risen by 165 - from 894 on Thursday to 1,059 today, she added.
