No 10 Virus Bombshell

As PM and Health Secretary are infected...

- Sam Lister

Boris Johnson vowed to keep leading the fight against coronavirus last night – despite being struck down with the disease.

In an extraordinary turn of events, the Prime Minister confirmed he has Covid-19 after developing symptoms on Thursday.

Just an hour later, Health Secretary Matt Hancock admitted he is also self-isolating at home after catching the virus.

The grim announcements came as the UK’s death toll yesterday soared to 759, with 168 further fatalities in England, the biggest daily rise so far.

Police have now confirmed a temporary morgue, which could hold up to 12,000 bodies, is being set up at Birmingham Airport.

Mr Johnson and Mr Hancock had seen each other in person on Tuesday for the weekly Cabinet meeting and were both in the Commons chamber on Wednesday for Prime Minister’s Questions.

To add to the problems at the centre of the Government’s fight to tackle the virus, England’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty said he is now self-isolating at home after experiencing symptoms.

At yesterday’s Downing Street press conference, Cabinet minister Michael Gove said: “The virus does not discriminate. We are all at risk.”

NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens said NHS staff would start being tested for the coronavirus from next week. Mr Stevens also announced that 33,000 hospital beds are available to treat further coronavirus patients.

Police have also dished out the first fines for people ignoring pleas to stay at home, with a spokesman saying: “It is a national emergency, not a national holiday.”

Mr Johnson, 55, broke the news of his diagnosis to the nation with a video posted on social media.