UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the health secretary, Matt Hancock, have tested positive for coronavirus, leaving them each to work in isolation on leading the government’s efforts to tackle the pandemic.

According to the BBC  the prime minister, who is 55, will self-isolate for seven days in his flat above No 11 Downing Street after announcing that he had mild symptoms of a cough and temperature.

Johnson received the result at midnight, just hours after he was seen outside the door of No 10 clapping in support of NHS workers, alongside the chancellor, Rishi Sunak.

Hancock, who has responsibility for the NHS, said he would self-isolate until next Thursday.

Both men have been in repeated contact with senior political figures, including cabinet members and advisers in the last few days. But despite the two men testing positive, no other ministers, nor the chief medical officer or chief scientific officer would be tested for the virus unless they showed symptoms, Downing Street said.

It is unknown how Johnson contracted the illness but officials confirmed other people who worked in No 10 were self-isolating after having coronavirus symptoms.

Johnson posted a video on Friday morning on Twitter saying he had a temperature and a persistent cough.

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