LONDON – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested positive for the new coronavirus.
Johnson’s office says he was tested after showing mild symptoms. Downing St. says Johnson is self-isolating and continuing to lead the country’s response to COVID-19.
The announcement comes days after Britain’s Prince Charles also tested positive for COVID-19.
The 71-year-old is showing mild symptoms of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, and is self-isolating at a royal estate in Scotland, the prince’s Clarence House office said. His wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, has tested negative.
“The Prince of Wales has tested positive for Coronavirus," Clarence House said.
It said he “otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual.”
Britain’s Press Association, citing a source, said the prince and the 72-year-old duchess remained in good spirits, and that Charles was not bedridden.
The British government has advised people over age 70 to take social distancing measures especially seriously and warned they may need to stay home for 12 weeks.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can be more severe, causing pneumonia and sometimes death.