The Prime Minister Boris Johnson has today tested positive for coronavirus.
He was last seen in public outside No 10 clapping as part of the nationwide gesture to thank NHS staff on Thursday 26th March.
Mr Johnson, 55, said he developed mild symptoms over the past 24 hours, including a temperature and cough.
He was tested on the personal advice of England’s chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, Downing Street said.
In a video on his Twitter account, Mr Johnson said: “I’m working from home and self-isolating and that’s entirely the right thing to do.
“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 fightback against coronavirus.
“I want to thank everybody involved and, of course, our amazing NHS staff.
“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,” he added.
“That’s the way we’re going to win.”
A Downing Street statement said: “He will still be in charge of the government’s handling of the crisis”.
Earlier this week, the prime minister’s spokesman said if Mr Johnson was unwell and unable to work, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, as the first secretary of state, was the selected minister to stand in.
