INTERNATIONAL - UK PRIME MINISTER, BORIS JOHNSON, TESTS POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested positive for coronavirus and is self-isolating in Downing Street.

He said he had experienced mild symptoms over the past 24 hours, including a temperature and cough, but would continue to lead the government.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he had also tested positive while England's Chief Medical Officer, Prof Chris Whitty, has shown symptoms.

Another 181 people died with the virus in the past day, figures showed.

It takes the total number of UK deaths to 759, with 14,579 confirmed cases.

The daily coronavirus news conference is being led by Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove, alongside deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries and NHS chief executive Simon Stevens.

They announced plans to begin a mass testing programme of all health service staff, starting with critical care teams, at the start of next week. It will later be expanded to cover social care staff too.

Mr Stevens said the number of tests being done by the end of next week would be double that being done today.

He also announced plans for two further field hospitals in Birmingham and Manchester, similar to that being readied at the ExCel centre in east London. More would follow those three, he added.

Mr Johnson is thought to be the first world leader to announce they have the virus.

He was last seen on Thursday night, clapping outside No 10 as part of a nationwide gesture to thank NHS staff and carers.

Shortly after Mr Johnson's announcement, Mr Hancock said he had been "working from home over the last couple of days" with mild symptoms of the virus, and would be self-isolating until next Thursday.

And Prof Whitty, who has been meeting the prime minster and Mr Hancock regularly, later announced he was self-isolating.

In a video on his Twitter account, Mr Johnson, 55, 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 fight-back 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."

via - BBC