Boris Johnson Tests Positive For COVID-19

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, Downing Street has announced.

“Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus,” the prime minister wrote on Twitter.

“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. #StayHomeSaveLives” 

“After experiencing mild symptoms yesterday, the prime minister was tested for coronavirus on the personal advice of England’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty,” a Downing Street spokesperson said.

“The test was carried out in No. 10 by NHS staff and the result of the test was positive,” the spokesperson added. 

“He is continuing to lead the government’s response to coronavirus.” 

It is not known whether Johnson, 55, is staying with his fiancee, Carrie Symonds, who is several months pregnant.

Dominic Raab, the British foreign secretary, will take over Johnson’s duties should the prime minister become too ill to remain in charge.

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The U.K. is currently under a lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19. More than 9,500 novel coronavirus cases have been reported in Britain, according to the World Health Organization.

Johnson’s positive test was announced as British police began fining people breaching lockdown rules, less than 24 hours after new laws were brought into force.

Also on Friday, Angela Rayner, the front-runner in the U.K. Labour party’s deputy leadership contest, announced on Twitter that she is self-isolating after experiencing symptoms. Duncan Selbie, the chief executive of Public Health England, is also self-isolating with his own symptoms.

The latest figures from the British Department of Health, released on Thursday, showed a total of 578 people who tested positive for COVID-19 in the U.K. have died. 

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