British PM Boris Johnson tests positive for coronavirus

In a video posted on Twitter minutes ago, the prime minister, Boris Johnson, confirmed he had developed mild symptoms – “a temperature and persistent cough” – over the last 24 hours and, on the advice of the chief medical officer, he took a test which returned positive for coronavirus.

Johnson, 55, said he was now self-isolating and working from home. He said thanks to “the wizardry of modern technology” he would continue to lead the national fightback against the virus.

He thanked the NHS and everybody working to keep the country going through the pandemic and remained confident the UK would beat the virus. He reiterated that staying at home was fundamental to stopping the spread of the virus.

The Covid-19 global outbreak has wreaked havoc on economies and established routines of life. Worldwide, the death toll climbed past 24,000, according to reports.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Kashmir Monitor staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)