British Prime Minister Boris Johnson took to Twitter to announce that he has been tested positive for coronavirus.

“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,” he said in his tweet.

 

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. #StayHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/9Te6aFP0Ri

 

— Boris Johnson #StayHomeSaveLives (@BorisJohnson) March 27, 2020

A Downing Street spokesperson said Johnson, experienced mild symptoms on Thursday, just a day after he answered at the prime minister’s weekly question-and-answer session in parliament’s House of Commons chamber.

“The prime minister was tested for coronavirus on the personal advice of England’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty,” the spokesperson said. “The test was carried out in No 10 by NHS staff and the result of the test was positive.”

With Johnson being tested positive, Downing Street staff and ministers may need to visit testing centres as soon as they can since they may have most probably come in contact with Boris on several occasions.

Boris is now the second important political figure to be tested positive after Price Charles was announced to be also tested positive for coronavirus.

The UK toll is the seventh worst in the world, after Italy, Spain, China, Iran, France and the United States. Currently, 578 people in the United Kingdom have died from coronavirus and the total number of confirmed cases has risen to 11,658.