In a video posted on Twitter, Johnson confirmed that he had developed a mild fever and symptoms.
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson has tested positive for coronavirus. In a video posted on Twitter, Johnson confirmed that he had developed a mild fever and symptoms, following which he took a test for COVID-19, which returned positive.
Johnson confirmed that over the last 24 hours, he had developed 'mild symptoms', after which he was tested positive. He will now self-isolate at Downing Street but will continue to lead the British government's response via video-conference.
"Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus. I am now self-isolating, but I will continue to lead the government’s response via video-conference as we fight this virus. Together we will beat this," the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom posted on his official Twitter handle, along with a video describing the current situation.
Johnson, who is 55 years old, said that he will work from home and "thanks to the wizardry of modern technology" he would continue to lead the national fightback against the virus.
Johnson further said that he had faith in the National Health Service (NHS), the public-funded healthcare system of the United Kingdom, and thanked the medical staff who are working tirelessly to fight the pandemic outbreak in the country. Appearing confident that the UK would beat the virus, the Prime Minister and leader of the Conservatives party asked everyone to remain at home as it was imperative to do so in order to cut the spread of the virus.
A report by The Guardian quoted a Downing Street spokesperson, who said that the Prime Minister had taken a test on the personal advice of England's Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty. The test was carried out in No. 10 by NHS staff and the result of the test was positive. The spokesperson added that Johnson will continue to lead the government response to coronavirus.
Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, has thus become the first head of the government to publicly reveal that they have tested positive for the coronavirus. A few other world leaders, like Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada and Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, are also running their respective countries while in self-isolation.
Some British political commentators, however, have expressed concern regarding the fact that Johnson was staying with his partner, Carrie Symonds, who is several months pregnant. Any confirmation is yet to be received in this regard.
England's monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, last saw the UK Prime Minister when he had his weekly audience with her on March 11. The monarch, who will turn 94 next month, has been living in the Windsor Palace after she was shifted from the Buckingham Palace following reports of a royal aide testing positive for the virus. Since then, her daughter, Prince Charles, has also tested positive for COVID-19.
The coronavirus has until now affected around 11,813 people in the United Kingdom. It remains to be seen how the country will handle this crisis.
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