Britain's Johnson 'improving' but remains in intensive care
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s condition was reported to be “improving” on Wednesday, as he spent a third day in intensive care battling the coronavirus.
The condition has struck in the centre of the British government, infected a lot more than 60,000 persons across nationwide and killed over 7,000, with another record daily toll reported on Wednesday.
“The latest from a healthcare facility is that the prime minister remains in intensive care where his condition is improving,” finance minister Rishi Sunak said at a briefing.
“He has been sitting up during intercourse and engaging positively with the clinical team.”
Earlier, Johnson’s official spokesman said he remained “clinically stable and is responding to treatment, describing the 55-year-old Conservative leader as being in “good spirits.”
The update came as newspapers urged Britons to keep their stricken leader at the forefront of their minds, with a lockdown to try to stem the spread of COVID-19 now in its third week.
“He stayed at the job for you personally... now pray at home for him,” The Sun tabloid splashed across its front page. “Boris ‘will pull through’” said the Daily Express.
Deputising for Johnson, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called him “a fighter” and predicted “he’ll be back, leading us through this crisis promptly.”
Johnson is the most high-profile government leader to be infected with COVID-19 and messages of support flooded in from across Britain and the world.
He was admitted to intensive care on Monday evening after spending Sunday night in hospital following concerns he still had a cough and temperature 10 days after being identified as having COVID-19.
His transfer to intensive care is unprecedented for a prime minister during a national emergency today.
For many individuals, it brought home the seriousness of the disease that has up to now seen 7,097 deaths in Britain, with an archive 938 more reported in a daily update on Wednesday.
There is also a worrying jump in new reported cases to 5,492 after several days of lower figures.
Downing Street said it had been still too soon to state whether stringent social distancing measures introduced on March 23 for an initial three-week period will be eased.
A review is expected in a few days, although Sunak said “our priority at the moment is to stop the spread of this virus“, suggesting the lockdown would be extended.
The country doesn't have a formal constitutional role of deputy prime minister, and experts said Raab would want the support of all of those other cabinet to make any big decisions, such as easing the lockdown.
Johnson announced on March 27 that he previously coronavirus and went into self-isolation in a set above his Downing Street office.
He has received messages of support from around the world, around President Donald Trump sending best wishes to his “very good friend” while Russian leader Vladimir Putin said Johnson’s “energy, optimism and sense of humour” would see him through.
For some, Johnson’s larger-than-life personality has made his hospitalisation even more shocking.
His biographer Andrew Gimson said Johnson always made him feel upbeat, and “now here he's the stricken one.”
Experts said it had been not uncommon for coronavirus patients to go to intensive care, but said it showed Johnson’s condition was serious.
The British government was criticised for at first refusing to check out other Europe in requiring people to remain home as the virus spread rapidly around the world.
Johnson himself said in early March that he was still shaking hands with people.
Fourteen days ago, he ordered a nationwide lockdown, but parliament continued to sit for several days after and Westminster became a hotspot for the virus.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock and the heir to the throne, Prince Charles, have both been infected, although they have since recovered.
Johnson’s pregnant partner, Carrie Symonds, moved out of Downing Street after some staff fell ill.
Meanwhile, Number 10 also revealed on Wednesday that it expected its chief Brexit negotiator David Frost to speak early in a few days to his EU counterpart Michel Barnier to agree a timetable for “remote” talks in April and May.--AFP
