COVID-19: Boris Johnson tests positive, to work from official residence

British Prime Minister, Mr Boris Johnson, has become the first major world leader to test positive for Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The British leader is said to be experiencing mild symptoms of COVID-19 and has isolated himself to avoid infecting others.

The prime minister’s diagnosis and announcement has rattled a country that was already unnerved by news that Prince Charles, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and the heir to the United Kingdom throne, had tested positive for the virus.

Buckingham Palace said the Queen Elizabeth II remains healthy but has been sequestered at her palace, the Windsor Castle. Mr. Johnson had on Wednesday delivered his weekly briefing to the Queen by telephone.

In a video posted on Twitter, Johnson said: “I’ve developed mild symptoms of the coronavirus,” stating that he was tested on Thursday after he began running a temperature and suffering a persistent cough.

The Prime Minister said that he would isolate himself in his official residence, 10 Downing Street, but would not relinquish his duties.

On Monday, after resisting harsher measures for more than a week, Mr. Johnson imposed a lockdown on Britain in order to help curb the spread of the virus which has made the country one of th emos third hit in Europe.

Mr Johnson had until the announcement of the diagnosis, been meeting with his Advisers and has appeared most days at a daily televised briefing.

But on Thursday, he did not appear for the daily briefing on COVID-19.

“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,” Mr. Johnson said.