By Spy Uganda
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has gone into self-isolation after he tested positive for the new coronavirus.
The announcement on Friday came shortly after Spain recorded 769 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths in the country due to the coronavirus to 4,858.
Meanwhile, the United States now has more coronavirus cases than any other country with close to 86,000 infections, according to Johns Hopkins University, pushing the total numbers worldwide to more than 540,000, while Italy has the highest death toll with more than 8,200 deaths.
However, despite testing positive, Prime Minister Johnson is still able to work in an office and study at No. 11 Downing Street, his spokesman has said, shortly after the British leader announced he had contracted coronavirus and had mild symptoms.
He tweeted on Friday thus; “Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus. I am now self-isolating, but I will continue to lead the government’s response via video-conference as we fight this virus.”
“He is self-isolating for seven days”, the spokesman said, adding that “There was an 9:30 meeting, which we call the COVID-19 meeting … that went ahead. The PM played his role entirely via video conferencing.”
He also revealed that “That’s how it will continue while the PM is self-isolating. He will do the same things, but that will be done exclusively by teleconferencing on his part.”
About a conference call with journalists, Johnson’s spokesman said the prime minister was receiving meals left outside his door for him but would no longer appear in person at a daily news conference.
Meanwhile, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the Netherlands has risen by 1,172, or 16 percent, to 8,603, health authorities have said, with 112 new deaths. The country’s death total is now 546. The Netherlands National Institute for Health (RIVM) said in its daily update that the increase in rate of spread of the virus appears to be slowing.
It said it hoped to be able to say “within several days” whether social distancing and other measures taken mid-month were working to slow the outbreak’s spread.
It has also been reported that Queen Elizabeth is in good health despite having met Johnson a few days back. Queen Elizabeth last saw Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has tested positive for coronavirus, on March 11 and she remains in good health, Buckingham Palace said on Friday. “The queen last saw the PM on the 11th March and is following all the appropriate advice with regards to her welfare,” a palace spokesman said.
