LONDON: The UK’s response to the coronavirus pandemic got a setback on Friday when the Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his top health minister tested positive for the infection.
Johnson announced his diagnosis in a video posted on social media, in which he said he would continue to lead the UK government’s efforts from self-isolation in an apartment in Downing Street. Minutes later, his Minister for health, Matt Hancock, also said he had the virus and would work from home.
The extraordinary developments raised the question of how many officials leading the UK’s response to coronavirus had themselves been exposed to it. Downing Street, the center of power in the UK, is a maze of cramped offices and narrow corridors, making it almost impossible for everyone working there to practice the government’s own advice on social distancing.
On Thursday evening, after displaying symptoms but before learning the result of his test, Johnson appeared outside 10 Downing Street with his chief finance minister, Rishi Sunak, taking part in a national moment of appreciation for the UK’s health service workers. A Downing Street spokesperson said the pair were careful to remain at a safe distance.
Only a few weeks ago, he boasted of shaking the hands of coronavirus patients in hospital, and the UK faced criticism for a more cautious approach to the restrictive measures adopted by its European neighbors.
Johnson will work in isolation from his four-bedroom apartment in Downing Street. The infection also raises concerns over Johnson’s fiancee, Carrie Symonds, who is pregnant, and the myriad of other officials and advisers who work in close quarters in Downing Street.
Johnson last met with Queen Elizabeth II on March 11, Buckingham Palace said Friday. “The Queen last saw the PM on the 11th March and is following all the appropriate advice with regards to her welfare,” the palace said in a statement.
– CNN