(CMR) British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (55) has been moved to the intensive care unit St. Thomas Hospital in London after he was hospitalized yesterday for ongoing coronavirus symptoms.
Initially, his office was describing his symptoms as “mild”. However, by this afternoon news broke that he had taken a turn for the worse.
“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 spokesman.
The PM has asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who is the First Secretary of State, to deputize for him where necessary. He would stand-in for the Prime Minister if he is unable to lead the country.
His pregnant partner, Carrie Symonds, has also experienced Covid-19 symptoms, and said over the weekend that she is “on the mend.”
Johnson's secretary of state for health, Matt Hancock, also said on March 27 he had the virus, and the UK's chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, announced that he would begin self-isolation after displaying symptoms.
The UK had faced criticism for its slow response to the coronavirus, with Johnson still shaking hands of patients with the virus in the hospital just a few weeks ago.