Prince Charles has coronavirus

LONDON — Prince Charles, 71-year-old son of Queen Elizabeth II and the heir to the throne, has tested positive for the coronavirus, the British royal family said on Wednesday.

Clarence House said Charles is self-isolating at home in Scotland with his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.

“He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual,” it said, adding that Camilla, 72, is not infected.

A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said the 93-year-old queen “remains in good health.”

“The queen last saw the Prince of Wales briefly after the investiture on the morning of March 12 and is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare,” the palace said, referring to Charles by another of his official titles.

The palace did not mention the queen’s 98year-old husband, Prince Philip, who has largely retired from official duties after his health deteriorated in recent years.

Britain had confirmed more 8,000 coronavirus infections by Tuesday, including 422 deaths. Government health experts say tens of thousands of people are probably infected.

The health ministry delayed its usual late afternoon update on Wednesday, amid expectations of another jump in infections and deaths.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson defended his government on Wednesday after health experts and politicians criticized his initial reluctance to introduce tough measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

Some experts accused him of wasting several weeks that could potentially have been used to save more lives.

“We were going to do the right measures at the right time, not according to political diktat but according to ... the best scientific advice in the world,” Johnson told reporters when asked about the speed of his response.

Johnson said 405,000 volunteers have signed up to help the National Health Service.