it's been announced that the Prime
Minister and the health secretary have
both tested positive for coronavirus
Boris Johnson says he has mild symptoms
and will sell fast late in Downing
Street but will still lead the
government response to the crisis the
health secretary Matt Hancock is also
self isolating our political
correspondent at later Nathu has the
story just to tell you that her report
contains some flash photography
something urgent the Prime Minister's
top adviser this morning his boss has
contracted coronavirus I've developed
mild symptoms of the corona virus that's
to say a temperature and a persistent
cough and on the advice of the chief
medical officer I've taken a test that
has come out positive so I am working
from home I'm self isolating and that's
entirely the right thing to do
but being no doubt that I can continue a
thanks to the wizardry of modern
technology to communicate with all my
top team to lead the national fight back
against coronavirus last night the Prime
Minister joined people across the
country in paying tribute to NHS staff
he received the positive test results
not long after at midnight his neighbor
the Chancellor Ritchie sunic has not
displayed any symptoms so has not yet
been tested MPs have been following
social distancing rules in Parliament
but the Prime Minister has been in close
contact with others leading the
government's response to the outbreak
ministers and number 10 staff have been
told they don't have to self isolate
unless they start displaying symptoms
Boris Thompson will be self isolating in
the flat in number 11 Downing Street for
seven days he is still leading the
government's response to the corona
virus outbreak should his condition
worsen the foreign secretary Dominic
Robb will take charge the last time
Boris Johnson saw the Queen in person
was on the 11th of March earlier this
week they spoke by phone the Prime
Minister will be relying more heavily on
technology to carry out government
business in the coming days and let's
talk to Layla at Westminster this
lunchtime so the Prime Minister and the
health secretary Leyla took us through
some of the implications
of this or Jane just in the last few
minutes we've had we've had confirmation
that the health secretary madcap Hancock
has also contracted coronavirus he has
tested positive for it the results came
back this morning he is now working from
home all of developing Mull's symptoms
on Wednesday night and I think that is
the the point were stressing that both
the health secretary and the prime
minister have described themselves as
having mild symptoms so although they
are self isolating they are both still
very much involved in the government
response to this coronavirus outbreak
now clearly there will have to be some
adjustments in terms of using video
technology we've already seen cabinet
meetings for example conducted over
videoconferencing the press conferences
the daily press briefings that we've
become used to have also it now become
video conferences so although there are
contingency plans in place should the
Prime Minister's condition worsen it is
clear that he is very much in charge of
leading the operation for now given that
he only has mild symptoms all right
Leila Thank You Leila Nath you there at
Westminster