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Both the Prime Minister and Health Secretary have tested positive for coronavirus as they lead the country’s response to the outbreak.
Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock will now face the added challenge of communicating at a distance as they work to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.
The PM insisted on Friday that he would still be able to work with his “top team” through “the wizardry of modern technology”.
Meanwhile, the Government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said Mr Johnson was already using “digital tools” to manage meetings.
Here’s how Boris Johnson will lead the country in isolation:
Coronavirus hits the UK – In pictures
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A woman wearing a face mask walks past Buckingham Palace
Getty Images
2/35
Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown
Andrew Parsons
3/35
Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas’ hospital
Getty Images
4/35
Theo Clay looks out of his window next to his hand-drawn picture of a rainbow in Liverpool, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue
REUTERS
5/35
A man holds mobile phone displaying a text message alert sent by the government warning that new rules are in force across the UK and people must stay at home
PA
6/35
A shopper walks past empty shelves in a Lidl store on in Wallington. After spates of “panic buying” cleared supermarket shelves of items like toilet paper and cleaning products, stores across the UK have introduced limits on purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have also created special time slots for the elderly and other shoppers vulnerable to the new coronavirus.
Getty Images
7/35
A newspaper vendor in Manchester city centre giving away free toilet rolls with every paper bought as shops run low on supplies due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus
PA
8/35
People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour
PA
9/35
Mia, aged 8 and her brother Jack, aged 5 from Essex, continue their school work at home, after being sent home due to the coronavirus
PA
10/35
Children are painting ‘Chase the rainbows’ artwork and springing up in windows across the country
Reuters
11/35
Social distancing in Primrose Hill
Jeremy Selwyn
12/35
Westminster Bridge is deserted
PA
13/35
A general view of a locked gate at Anfield, Liverpool as The Premier League has been suspended
PA
14/35
An empty escalator at Charing Coss London Underground tube station
Jeremy Selwyn
15/35
Homeless people in London
AFP via Getty Images
16/35
A piece of art by the artist, known as the Rebel Bear has appeared on a wall on Bank Street in Glasgow. The new addition to Glasgow’s street art is capturing the global Coronavirus crisis. The piece features a woman and a man pulling back to give each other a kiss
PA
17/35
The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, London, for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic
PA
18/35
A general view on Grey street, Newcastle as coronavirus cases grow around the world
Reuters
19/35
Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside
PA
20/35
Britain’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty (L) and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance look on as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) news conference inside 10 Downing Street
Reuters
21/35
The ticket-validation terminals at the tram stop on Edinburgh’s Princes Street are cleaned following the coronavirus outbreak.
PA
22/35
Locked school gates at Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear
PA
23/35
A sign at a Sainsbury’s supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases grow around the world
Reuters
24/35
Jawad Javed delivers coronavirus protection kits that he and his wife have put together to the vulnerable people of their community of Stenhousemuir, between Glasgow and Edinburgh
AFP via Getty Images
25/35
A sign advertising a book titled “How Will We Survive On Earth?”
Getty Images
26/35
A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria
Jeremy Selwyn
27/35
A pedestrian walks past graffiti that reads “Diseases are in the City” in Edinburgh
AFP via Getty Images
28/35
Staff from The Lyric Theatre, London inform patrons, as it shuts its doors
PA
29/35
A quiet looking George IV Bridge in Edinburgh
PA
30/35
A quieter than usual British Museum
Getty Images
31/35
A racegoer attends Cheltenham in a fashionable face mask
SplashNews.com
32/35
A commuter wears a face mask at London Bridge Station
Jeremy Selwyn
33/35
A empty restaurant in the Bull Ring Shopping Centre
Getty Images
34/35
A deserted Trafalgar Square in London
PA
35/35
Passengers determined to avoid the coronavirus before leaving the UK arrive at Gatwick Airport
Getty Images
1/35
A woman wearing a face mask walks past Buckingham Palace
Getty Images
2/35
Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown
Andrew Parsons
3/35
Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas’ hospital
Getty Images
4/35
Theo Clay looks out of his window next to his hand-drawn picture of a rainbow in Liverpool, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue
REUTERS
5/35
A man holds mobile phone displaying a text message alert sent by the government warning that new rules are in force across the UK and people must stay at home
PA
6/35
A shopper walks past empty shelves in a Lidl store on in Wallington. After spates of “panic buying” cleared supermarket shelves of items like toilet paper and cleaning products, stores across the UK have introduced limits on purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have also created special time slots for the elderly and other shoppers vulnerable to the new coronavirus.
Getty Images
7/35
A newspaper vendor in Manchester city centre giving away free toilet rolls with every paper bought as shops run low on supplies due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus
PA
8/35
People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour
PA
9/35
Mia, aged 8 and her brother Jack, aged 5 from Essex, continue their school work at home, after being sent home due to the coronavirus
PA
10/35
Children are painting ‘Chase the rainbows’ artwork and springing up in windows across the country
Reuters
11/35
Social distancing in Primrose Hill
Jeremy Selwyn
12/35
Westminster Bridge is deserted
PA
13/35
A general view of a locked gate at Anfield, Liverpool as The Premier League has been suspended
PA
14/35
An empty escalator at Charing Coss London Underground tube station
Jeremy Selwyn
15/35
Homeless people in London
AFP via Getty Images
16/35
A piece of art by the artist, known as the Rebel Bear has appeared on a wall on Bank Street in Glasgow. The new addition to Glasgow’s street art is capturing the global Coronavirus crisis. The piece features a woman and a man pulling back to give each other a kiss
PA
17/35
The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, London, for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic
PA
18/35
A general view on Grey street, Newcastle as coronavirus cases grow around the world
Reuters
19/35
Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside
PA
20/35
Britain’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty (L) and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance look on as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) news conference inside 10 Downing Street
Reuters
21/35
The ticket-validation terminals at the tram stop on Edinburgh’s Princes Street are cleaned following the coronavirus outbreak.
PA
22/35
Locked school gates at Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear
PA
23/35
A sign at a Sainsbury’s supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases grow around the world
Reuters
24/35
Jawad Javed delivers coronavirus protection kits that he and his wife have put together to the vulnerable people of their community of Stenhousemuir, between Glasgow and Edinburgh
AFP via Getty Images
25/35
A sign advertising a book titled “How Will We Survive On Earth?”
Getty Images
26/35
A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria
Jeremy Selwyn
27/35
A pedestrian walks past graffiti that reads “Diseases are in the City” in Edinburgh
AFP via Getty Images
28/35
Staff from The Lyric Theatre, London inform patrons, as it shuts its doors
PA
29/35
A quiet looking George IV Bridge in Edinburgh
PA
30/35
A quieter than usual British Museum
Getty Images
31/35
A racegoer attends Cheltenham in a fashionable face mask
SplashNews.com
32/35
A commuter wears a face mask at London Bridge Station
Jeremy Selwyn
33/35
A empty restaurant in the Bull Ring Shopping Centre
Getty Images
34/35
A deserted Trafalgar Square in London
PA
35/35
Passengers determined to avoid the coronavirus before leaving the UK arrive at Gatwick Airport
Getty Images
How will Boris Johnson lead the country from self-isolation?
While he self-isolates, officials will be working to ensure Mr Johnson has access to the information he needs, as well as staying in touch with key personnel.
This includes Cabinet ministers, political advisers such as Dominic Cummings, England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty – who is self-isolating due to virus symptoms – as well as Sir Patrick.
Earlier this week, the Prime Minister was pictured speaking to the Cabinet using the Zoom video conferencing platform that has exploded in popularity during the virus outbreak.
This was despite Ministry of Defence staff being banned from using it amid security fears.
Only the PM, Mr Hancock, Prof Whitty and Cabinet Cabinet Mark Sedwill attended in person.
Alan Woodward, professor of cyber security at the University of Surrey, said the Government would be able to rely on “secure telephone units” to help Mr Johnson make important phone calls from Downing Street.
“Inside Government they have a secure telephone system, it used to be called Brent two,” he said.
“The Prime Minister is lucky he lives above the shop, he’s got one there, and it doesn’t take much to fit them, so people like Matt Hancock doubtless has one.
“So just talking is simple and you can talk at the highest levels of classification on it.”
The Queen has already been pictured at Windsor Castle holding her weekly audience with the Prime Minister by telephone.
Prof Woodward acknowledged that the use of Zoom by Cabinet had “raised eyebrows”, with the company having “fairly serious security problems” in the past, but none he was currently aware of.
He said it was about ensuring that “when people are in a new context of working, they don’t resort to having conversations they shouldn’t be having over channels that they shouldn’t be using”.
Prof Woodward said: “I’m sure that the national cyber security centre will be looking at these things to make sure there are no holes.”
He added: “Zoom does support end-to-end encryption but obviously it’s not necessarily been tested to work at the highest levels.”
Prof Woodward said officials will be ensuring communications channels use encryption, and will be relying on the existing Government secure intranet for some emails.
This intranet can be used up to a certain level of classification, with even more secure networks also existing, he explained.
“I don’t see it being a huge issue for them in terms of security, because they do it as a matter of routine anyway.”
Prof Woodward also highlighted that much of Mr Johnson’s information is received in physical form through his ministerial red box.
Catherine Haddon, a senior fellow at the Institute for Government, suggested the Prime Minister would be receiving more digital information in the near future.
Who will take over from Boris Johnson if his condition worsens?
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has been selected to stand-in for Mr Johnson in case he became too unwell.
Ms Haddon said the early decision to select Mr Raab was to avoid any problems between ministers.
“They were already doing a certain amount of remote working, we know that Cabinet has been using video conferencing, so has the G7, G20,” she said.
Ms Haddon emphasised that Mr Johnson said his conditions were mild so his workload capacity was unlikely to change much.
She explained the Government’s Cabinet system allowed ministers to deputise for the Prime Minister should he become more unwell, such as by chairing the Cobra committee.
Ms Haddon added: “I assume that one of the reasons for naming Raab as the ‘designated survivor’, the phrase that has been used possibly inappropriately, is to avoid any political battle if there was suddenly a vacuum at the top.
“It’s more about the political leadership in all of this, rather than constitutional or Government decision-making processes.”
She added: “By saying that it will be Raab, they are giving him some political legitimacy to avoid any battles over that, so you don’t have Cabinet then being undecided as to who that person should be.”
