Hospitalized since Monday 6th April 2020, Boris Johnson was transferred Thursday evening to another department of the hospital. He is now under medical supervision.
The British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, contaminated by the new coronavirus, was released Thursday 9th April 2020 in intensive care and his government warned that it was necessary to prepare for an extension of containment to the worsening of the pandemic in the UK.
“The Prime Minister has been transferred from intensive care to another department of the hospital, where he will be placed under close surveillance during the initial phase of his recovery,” his spokesman said in a statement.
“His morale is extremely good.”
Higher deaths recorded in the United Kingdom
The hospitalisation of the charismatic but divisive 55-year-old conservative leader on Sunday, ten days after being diagnosed with Coronavirus Covid-19, then his transfer to intensive care on Monday evening had shocked the United Kingdom.
The improvement in his condition is one of the few positive notes when this country sinks into the crisis of the new coronavirus, with daily human balance sheets among the highest in Europe.
The United Kingdom has recorded an additional 881 patient deaths, bringing the total to 7,978 in hospital, according to a daily report released Thursday by Foreign Minister Dominic Raab, who is currently serving as government chief.
Among those who lost their lives was a 50-year-old doctor who had raised the alarm with the executive over the cruel lack of protective equipment for carers.
The virus officially infected 65,077 people in this country.
Dominic Raab once again urged the British to respect confinement, which should be extended beyond the three weeks initially planned, in principle until next Monday, despite a considerable economic and social cost.
“We must continue”
At the end of a government crisis meeting, by videoconference, on the future of the British strategy, he declared that an official decision would not be taken until “the end of next week”.
It is “too early” to soften the social distancing measures in place, he warned, adding that this could only take place once the “peak” has been crossed, which is not expected before several weeks.
“Our immediate priority is to slow the spread of the virus,” said Dominic Raab. “We are starting to see the effects of the sacrifices” made by the population, but “we are not there yet, we must continue,” he insisted.
Authorities have welcomed good signs in the trend of new infections and hospitalizations, which may affect mortality in the coming weeks, although the number of deaths should continue to increase in the next two weeks, according to the scientific adviser from the government, Patrick Vallance.
But they fear a loosening of compliance with instructions which would cause a new wave of contamination, especially during the four days of Easter weekend, which promise to be sunny.
Police reinforce the confinement
The police, who can punish offenders, said they would strengthen their confinement over the long weekend and increase the number of patrols.
The UK had been slow to follow its neighbours into confinement but, since March 23, the British have been asked to stay at home as much as possible and most of the stores are closed.
Without waiting for a decision on an extension to London, Wales and Scotland have already warned that the confinement should be extended for “several more weeks”.
Earlier this week, a study by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics found that the UK may have as many as 66,000 deaths in the first wave of the pandemic. about 150,000 deaths expected in Europe.
