U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who battled a coronavirus infection in an intensive care unit earlier this year, is in self-isolation after being exposed to the virus again, officials said Sunday.
In a statement, No. 10 Downing Street said Johnson wasn’t experiencing symptoms but would follow guidance from Britain’s National Health Service, which recommends self-isolation after prolonged exposure to someone who has the virus.
“He will carry on working from Downing Street, including on leading the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic,” the statement said.
The move came after Johnson met with Member of Parliament Lee Anderson on Thursday. Anderson developed symptoms after the meeting and later tested positive for coronavirus.
After contracting the virus in March, Johnson, 56, said he survived with “liters and liters of oxygen.” Doctors were preparing to announce his death, he said.
There have been few documented cases of people becoming reinfected with coronavirus, but experts have said it’s unclear how widespread the phenomenon is.
Two weeks ago, Johnson announced new coronavirus lockdown measures after the country saw a sharp rise in cases during October, according to data from Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center. As of Saturday, the country had recorded 1.3 million cases and more than 51,000 deaths since the pandemic began.
Sunday’s announcement came after a tumultuous week at No. 10 Downing Street that saw the resignations of Johnson’s top political strategist and chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, as well as communications adviser Lee Cain.