London — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he has tested positive for the new coronavirus, becoming the first world leader to confirm a diagnosis.
“I’ve developed mild symptoms of the coronavirus. That’s to say, 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, and that’s entirely the right thing to do,” he said in a video message posted to his official Twitter account.
Johnson said he would be able to continue carrying out his duties despite his illness.
“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 coronavirus,” he said.
Johnson thanked everyone in the U.K. working on the response to the epidemic, stressing the way to get through it was to follow government advice to stay at home.
“So thank you to everybody who’s doing what I’m doing, 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.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
