Coronavirus: UK PM Boris Johnson Taken Into ICU As Covid-19 Symptoms Worsen, Foreign Secy To Deputise

Johnson, who had gone into self-quarantine after testing positive for coronavirus last month and exhibiting "mild symptoms", was admitted to St Thomas' Hospital on Sunday evening.

Image: AFP

New Delhi: Coronavirus-positive UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was in hospital due to persistent Covid-19 symptoms, has been taken into intensive care unit on Monday after his condition worsened, Downing Street has said. Johnson, who had gone into self-quarantine after testing positive for coronavirus last month and exhibiting "mild symptoms", was admitted to St Thomas' Hospital on Sunday evening. "Over the course of this afternoon, the condition of the prime minister has worsened and, on the advice of his medical team, he has been moved to the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital," said a statement from 10 Downing Street, the BBC reported. Johnson, 55, asked UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab to deputise for him as he was moved on Monday to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at St Thomas' Hospital in London, a move Downing Street said was a precaution should he require ventilation to aid his recovery. Downing Street said Johnson remains conscious and is receiving excellent care , for which he thanks all National Health Service (NHS) staff for their hard work and dedication. Over the course of this afternoon (Monday), the condition of the Prime Minister has worsened and, on the advice of his medical team, he has been moved to the ICU at the hospital, a Downing Street spokesperson said. Raab, speaking after taking temporary charge, said the team spirit within the government would be focussed on taking Johnson's plans to defeat the pandemic forward. The minister said: The government's business will continue. The Prime Minister is in safe hands with that brilliant team at St Thomas' hospital, and the focus of the government will continue to be on making sure that the Prime Minister's direction, all the plans for making sure that we can defeat coronavirus and can pull the country through this challenge, will be taken forward". "There's an incredibly strong team spirit behind the Prime Minister, and making sure that we get all of the plans the Prime Minister's instructed us to deliver, to get them implemented as soon as possible. And that's the way it will bring the whole country through the coronavirus challenge that we face right now, the minister said.