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Coronavirus pandemic

UK premier’s health worsens, he is moved to intensive care — office

The PM has asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who is the First Secretary of State, to deputise for him where necessary

© EPA-EFE/JULIAN SIMMONDS / POOL

LONDON, April 6. /TASS/. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who had earlier been diagnosed with novel coronavirus, has been moved to intensive care as his health condition worsened, his office said in a statement released on Monday.

"Since Sunday evening, the Prime Minister has been under the care of doctors at St Thomas’ Hospital, in London, after being admitted with persistent symptoms of coronavirus," the statement says. "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 noved to the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital."

"The PM has asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who is the First Secretary of State, to deputise for him where necessary. The PM is receiving excellent care, and thanks all NHS staff for their hard work and dedication," the premier’s office said.

According to a Sky News report, the 55-year-old prime minister remains conscious and was transferred to intensive care as a precaution should he require ventilation.

It is presumed that Johnson was moved to intensive care at about 6.00-7.00 p.m. on Monday (20:00-21:00 Moscow time).

Earlier, Johnson’s office said the prime minister had been suffering from persistent symptoms of COVID-19 for more than 10 days. After spending about a week and a half in self-isolation, he was taken to hospital on Sunday as a precaution, to undergo standard medical tests.

According to the UK Department of Health, 51,608 cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in the UK as of April 6. A total of 5,373 people died. The country’s government declared obligatory nationwide self-isolation on March 23. People are allowed to leave their homes only for a very limited number of reasons.

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