PRIME Minister Boris Johnson has been hosting regular press briefings to update the nation on the government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak.
But this morning confirmed he had tested positive for the virus. Here’s everything we know about what happens next.
After testing positive for the coronavirus, the prime minister posted a video to social media saying he is now working from home.
“I’m self-isolating and that’s entirely the right thing to do,” he said.
He added that the “more effectively we all comply” with lockdown and self-isolation measures, the “faster we’ll bounce back”.
“Thank you to everybody who’s doing what I’m doing, working from home,” he said.
Yesterday saw chancellor Rishi Sunak stand in for Boris Johnson at the daily press briefing, the third to be conducted via video.
Johnson said today that he had been experiencing symptoms for 24 hours, which may explain why he was unable to attend last night.
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He said he would “continue to lead the government’s response”, though did not say whether he would appear at this evening briefing.
The chancellor has so far not shown any symptoms of the virus so has not been tested.
In his video, the prime minister said his symptoms had so far been “mild”.
He said he would continue to lead the government’s response to the outbreak “via video-conference”.
“Be in no doubt that I can continue, thanks to the wizardry of modern technology, to communicate with all my top team,” he said.
Photos from earlier in the week showed him cabinet meetings as a video conference calls.
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has reportedly been nominated to stand in should the prime minister become to ill to carry out his duties.
The prime minister usually conducts the conference from a briefing room in Downing Street.
Recent days have seen Johnson and Sunak stood in the same room but taken questions from journalists shown on a television screen.
The approach was adopted to maintain social distancing.
The briefings typically take place between 4pm and 6pm UK time.
They are available to watch live on BBC News or to be streamed online later.
The list of previous speakers at the coronavirus daily briefing is:
March 26: Rishi Sunak (Chancellor)
March 25: Boris Johnson(Prime Minister)
March 24: Matt Hancock (Health Secretary)
March 23: Boris Johnson (Prime Minister).
March 22: Boris Johnson (Prime Minister), Robert Jenrick (Housing Secretary), Dr Jenny Harries (Deputy Chief Medical Officer).
March 21: George Eustice (Environment Secretary), Helen Dickinson (British Retail Consortium Chief Executive), Stephen Powis (NHS England Medical Director).
March 20: Boris Johnson (Prime Minister), Rishi Sunak (Chancellor of the Exchequer), Dr Jenny Harries (Deputy Chief Medical Officer).
March 19: Boris Johnson (Prime Minister), Chris Whitty (Chief Medical Officer), Sir Patrick Vallance (Chief Scientific Advisor).
March 18: Boris Johnson (Prime Minister), Sir Patrick Vallance (Chief Scientific Advisor), Dr Jenny Harries (Deputy Chief Medical Officer).
March 17: Boris Johnson (Prime Minister), Rishi Sunak (Chancellor of the Exchequer), Sir Patrick Vallance (Chief Scientific Advisor).
March 16: Boris Johnson (Prime Minister), Chris Whitty (Chief Medical Officer), Sir Patrick Vallance (Chief Scientific Advisor).
