In a video posted on Twitter on Friday, 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, the Guardian reported.
Johnson said he is self-isolating and working from home. He said thanks to “the wizardry of modern technology” he will continue to lead the national fightback against the virus.
He wrote on Twitter, "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. Together we will beat this. #StayHomeSaveLives"
The test was carried out at Number 10 by NHS staff.
There are more than 11,600 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK, and 578 people have died.