Boris Johnson tests positive for COVID-19, to work from home

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that he has tested positive for COVID-19 and is now self-isolating at his residence at 10 Downing Street. Johnson said he had developed mild symptoms over the last 24 hours.  

“Hi, folks I want to bring you up to speed with something that is happening, today. I've developed mild symptoms of the coronavirus, a temperature and a persistent cough, and on the advice of the chief medical officer I’ve taken a test, that has come out positive, so I am working from home. I'm self-isolating” he says in a video he posted on Twitter.

His announcement makes him the first world leader to test positive for the coronavirus.

Johnson, 55, is the latest high-profile figure from the UK to test positive, after Prince Charles. Charles, 71, had tested positive on March 26 and had interacted with several royals and even Johnson in the weeks before his test. According to doctors, the earliest time Charles could have been infectious would have been March 13, the day after he met with Queen Elizabeth.

Johnson himself has had multiple interactions with people who later tested positive for the coronavirus, including under-secretary of state for mental health, suicide prevention and patient safety Nadine Dorries.

Johnson's comments on March 3 attracted controversy after he said he had visited a hospital with coronavirus patients, shaken hands with everybody and stated that he would continue to shake hands.

In his announcement on Friday, Johnson said he does not doubt that he can continue his work.

"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 the coronavirus," he said.

Johnson thanked everyone involved and in particular the NHS. "It was very moving last night to join that national clap for the NHS. But, it's not just the NHS, it's police, social care workers, teachers, everybody who works in schools, DWP staff, an amazing national effort by the public services but also every member of the British public who is volunteering. 600,000 people have volunteered to take part in a great national effort to protect people from the consequences of the coronavirus."

"We will get through it and the way we're going to get through it is, of course, by applying the measures that you would have heard so much about. The more effectively we all comply with those measures, the faster our country will come through this epidemic and the faster we'll bounce back."

"Thank you to everybody who is doing what im doing, who is working from home to stop the spread of the virus from household to household. That's the way we're going to win. We're going to beat it, and we're going to beat it together. Stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives," the UK PM concluded.