UK health secretary Hancock follows PM Johnson in testing POSITIVE for Covid-19

The UK’s health secretary Matt Hancock has tested positive for coronavirus just hours after Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed that he is carrying the disease.

In a video posted on Twitter, a nasally Hancock said that he had been working from home in recent days because he was displaying "mild symptoms" of the Covid-19 infection. He said that doctors told him to get tested and the test came back positive so he will be self-isolating until next Thursday.

"Fortunately for me the symptoms, so far, have been very mild, so I’ve been able to carry on with the work, driving forward the UK response," he said.

Following Johnson's diagnosis, reports in UK media indicated that Hancock may have been at risk because he spent time with the prime minister while he was infectious.

There are also fears that Chancellor Rishi Sunak may have been exposed to the disease by Johnson. However, the finance minister has not been tested for the illness because he is not displaying any symptoms.

Downing Street had introduced measures to limit contact, including holding cabinet and the daily Covid-19 briefing by conference call.

However, Johnson was in the UK parliament in recent days and also hosted several senior cabinet figures and the chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty.

The latest figures show that the UK has over 11,800 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection which has, so far, resulted in the deaths of 578 people.

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