Boris Johnson, the UK Prime Minister has been taken into intensive care in hospital with coronavirus.
He has asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to deputise for him, a No 10 spokesman said.
Mr Johnson was on Sunday admitted to St Thomas’ Hospital in London with “persistent symptoms”.
A statement from No 10 read: “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.
“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.
“The PM is receiving excellent care, and thanks all NHS staff for their hard work and dedication.”
READ ALSO: Boris Johnson admitted to hospital over coronavirus symptoms
On Sunday the Prime Minister’s Office announced that he had been admitted to the hospital for tests, 10 days after he tested positive to coronavirus. “On the advice of his doctor, the Prime Minister has tonight been admitted to hospital for tests,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
Giving the daily press briefing on the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said that as of today, 208,837 people have been tested for the virus and 51,608 tested positive. The number of people admitted to hospital with coronavirus symptoms now stands at 17,911 in the UK. Of those who have contracted the virus 5,373 have died.
“I want to reassure people that every arm of government is doing everything it possibly can to defeat coronavirus and rise to the challenges it presents us at home and abroad,” Mr Raab said. “Last night, Her Majesty the Queen reflected on the national spirit of unity and resolve that we are seeing in our country, as well as the collective effort we need to tackle the disease. From our heroic doctors, nurses and careworkers, through to those manning the tills at supermarkets and pharmacies, those driving the lorries and the buses. They are all worthy of our applause, they are all worthy of our admiration.”