Boris Johnson has declared himself “fit as a butcher’s dog” as he self-isolates, while also raising the prospect of a COVID-19 vaccine being distributed “perhaps before Christmas”.
The prime minister is currently self-isolating after meeting with a Conservative MP who later tested positive for coronavirus.
Mr Johnson’s need to quarantine comes in a critical week for post-Brexit trade negotiations, with a deal still yet to be agreed between the UK and EU ahead of the end of the transition period on 31 December.
The prime minister had also hoped to use the next couple of weeks to make a series of announcements – including on coronavirus, education, the economy and climate issues – that Number 10 said would be a clear signal of his ongoing ambitions for the country.
In a video posted to his Twitter account on Monday, the prime minister said he had been “pinged” by the NHS Test and Trace system.
He added: “It doesn’t matter that we were all doing social distancing, it doesn’t matter that I’m fit as a butcher’s dog, feel great – so many people do in my circumstances – and actually it doesn’t matter that I’ve had the disease and I’m bursting with antibodies.
“We’ve got to interrupt the spread of the disease and one of the ways we can do that now is by self-isolating for 14 days when you get contacted by NHS Test and Trace.”
The prime minister suggested his case proved NHS Test and Trace is “working well”, despite criticism of the £12bn programme.
He also said the UK now had “two gigantic boxing gloves with which to wallop our foe into submission”, amid the second wave of COVID-19 infections.
Mr Johnson outlined these as mass rapid testing for the disease and a vaccine “which I hope we’ll be able to start distributing to those who really need it perhaps before Christmas”.