UK PM Boris, health secretary test positive for Covid-19
In a matter of hours after Johnson confirmed that he had tested positive for coronavirus, the UK health secretary also tweeted about his testing positive
The British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Health Secretary Matt Hancock have been tested positive for coronavirus.
55 year old Johnson 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 around midnight, reports Reuters.
"I have taken a test. That has come out positive," Johnson said on Friday in a video statement broadcast on Twitter.
In a matter of hours after Johnson confirmed that he had tested positive for Covid-19, the UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock tweeted: "Following medical advice, I was advised to test for #Coronavirus. I've tested positive. Thankfully my symptoms are mild and I'm working from home & self-isolating. Vital we follow the advice to protect our NHS & save lives."
Johnson is currently self-isolating at his Downing Street residence but said he would still lead the government's response to the accelerating outbreak.
Hancock said in a video message that he would be self-isolating until next Thursday.
"So I am working from home. I am 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."
The UK Prime minister is the first leader of a major power to announce a positive test result for coronavirus.