The bombshell new threatens to send the government's response into chaos, with speculation rampant over who else might be infected at the heart of power.
The politicians are believed to have carried out a slew of face-to-face meetings over the past few days. But Downing Street insists there is no need for other ministers of officials to get checked unless they start displaying symptoms.
The drama kicked off this morning when Mr Johnson declared he had coronavirus. Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty advised him to to get a test after he developing a temperature and cough yesterday afternoon.
The 55-year-old insisted he only has 'mild' symptoms', and will be continuing to lead the national response over video-conference. The PM will stay in his flat in No11 - from where he chaired a meeting of the 'war Cabinet' this morning - and aides will leave meals and work outside the door.
Within hours Mr Hancock then revealed he also has the virus. 'I've tested positive. Thankfully my symptoms are mild and I'm working from home & self-isolating,' he tweeted. Mr Hancock had been expected to appear at the daily government press briefing this evening.
Despite the government's own guidance saying people must self-isolate for 14 days if anyone in their 'household' develops symptoms, no senior figures - such as Chancellor Rishi Sunak who was with the PM last night or chief aide Dominic Cummings - are going into isolation.
Mr Johnson's pregnant partner Carrie Symonds is believed to be in self-isolation, although it is not known when they last saw each other or if she has been checked.
In a video, Mr Johnson said: 'Hi folks I want to bring you up to speed on something that is happening today which is that I have developed mild symptoms of coronavirus, that is to say a temperature and a persistent cough, and on the advice of the chief medical officer I have taken a test.
'That has come out positive so I am working from home, I am self isolating.
'That is entirely the right thing to do but be in no doubt that I can continue thanks to the wizardry of modern technology to communicate with all my top team to lead the national fight back against coronavirus.'
Prince Charles was confirmed as infected with coronavirus earlier this week.
Downing Street has previously said that Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will fill in if the PM is incapacitated, although there is little sign that he has stopped working.
In another frantic day of developments in the battle against coronavirus:
- A council is facing a furious backlash after targeting members of the public with drones, as lawyers warned that police are 'unlawfully' trying to restrict people travelling to isolated spots to exercise and walk their dogs;
- There are demands for the government to go further to help millions of self-employed after Mr Sunak admitted a bailout for income support will not be up and running until June;
- There are fears the outbreak is accelerating after the declared UK death toll rose by 113 to 578 yesterday - the steepest increase yet;
- Buckingham Palace has said the Queen remains in 'good health' and has not seen the PM since March 11;
- GP Habib Zaidi, 76, who died at Southend Hospital in Essex, is feared to have become the first doctor in the UK to have died after contracting coronavirus;
- Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley has apologised for 'ill-judged and poorly timed' emails after the businessman faced fierce criticism when he tried to claim Sports Direct was an essential operator for keeping the nation fit;
- UK supermarkets said they will use a government database of 1.5 million vulnerable shoppers to help prioritise delivery slots.
- It has emerged an email mix-up meant the UK did not participate in an EU scheme for sourcing more ventilators quickly;
- Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner has announced she is self-isolating after coming down with coronavirus symptoms that 'gradually' increased;
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