British Prime Minister Boris Johnson
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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is self-isolating after coming into contact with a member of parliament who has tested positive for coronavirus, a government spokesman said in a statement.
Johnson, who spent three days in an intensive care unit in April after contracting the disease, is not showing symptoms, the statement said.
He was notified about the contact by NHS Test and Trace, a government contact tracing service, that he had come into contact with someone who tested positive and was required to self-isolate.
“The Prime Minister will follow the rules and is self-isolating,” according to the statement. “He will carry on working from Downing Street, including on leading the Government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.”
The possible exposure came on Thursday during an approximately 35 minute meeting between Johnson and members of parliament, including Lee Anderson, a fellow member of Johnson’s Conservative Party. Anderson later tested positive for the virus.
The news comes as the United Kingdom struggles to contain a resurgence of the virus.
A second lockdown imposed in England barring effectively all nonessential activity is in effect and due to expire in early December. Johnson has defended the measure, saying that there is “no alternative.”
