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PIPPA FOWLES / DOWNING STREET HANDOUT
The PM was last seen in public a week ago
Boris Johnson’s health continues to improve in hospital, Downing Street has said after the PM spent his third night in intensive care.
A No 10 spokesman described the prime minister as being in “good spirits” as he continues to receive care in St Thomas’ Hospital, London.
Mr Johnson is being given oxygen, having contracted coronavirus.
He was taken to hospital on Sunday – 10 days after testing positive – and was moved to intensive care on Monday.
Downing Street said Mr Johnson was continuing with “standard oxygen treatment”. His spokesman has previously confirmed the prime minister has not been on a ventilator.
‘Focus on recovery’
The spokesman said No 10 was “hugely grateful” for the messages of support and that the prime minister “thanks NHS staff for the brilliant care which he has been receiving”.
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Dominic Raab is deputising for the PM while he in hospital
At Thursday’s Downing Street coronavirus briefing, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab gave a brief update on Mr Johnson’s condition, saying: “He is still in intensive care but continues to make positive steps and is in good spirits.”
Mr Raab, who is deputising for the PM while he remains in hospital, said he had chaired an emergency Cobra meeting, with senior ministers and officials from the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments, and the London mayor, to “take stock and assess where we are right across the United Kingdom” on social distancing measures.
He said the “early signs” were that the measures were having the desired effect, but it was “too early to say that conclusively”, and they would be kept under review.
He also revealed that he had not been in contact with Mr Johnson since the PM went into hospital, adding: “I think it is important to let him focus on the recovery – we in the government have got this covered.”
‘Team effort’
Asked if he had the authority to make decisions on the lockdown while Mr Johnson is in intensive care, he said: “I’ve got all the authority I need to make the relevant decisions.”
He said it was a “team effort” but he had been deputised by the prime minister to make calls such as this.
Mr Raab has said he is “confident” the prime minister will recover from the virus.
In an interview with TalkRadio, Home Secretary Priti Patel said she was “rooting” for Mr Johnson, and revealed that she had not spoken to the PM since last week.
“I’ve been involved in every single key government zoom meeting. I spoke to him last week, around the time of the last cabinet meeting, the last formal meeting I was involved with him.
“It was clear he was unwell, he needed to get rest and recuperation.”
Mr Johnson was most recently seen in public last Thursday when he joined the country in clapping for NHS workers on the steps of Downing Street.
Meanwhile, the prime minister’s chief adviser Dominic Cummings has been self-isolating with coronavirus symptoms.
The PM’s official spokesman said Mr Cummings was not back in Number 10, but he was in contact.