Boris Johnson in Intensive Care: ‘Making Positive Steps Forwards, in Good Spirits’

United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson is “making positive steps forwards” with his treatment, as he spends his fourth day in intensive care after being admitted to hospital Sunday for coronavirus.

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The latest update on the Prime Minister’s health — improving now after several days of apparently bad news — comes from stand-in temporary government leader Dominic Raab, who was picked by Mr Johnson when he was first diagnosed in March as the ‘designated survivor’.

In brief remarks that perhaps betray little has changed since Wednesday, when the Prime Minister was said to be “sitting up in bed” and “responding to treatment”, Mr Raab said of Boris Johnson’s condition: “He’s still in intensive care but he continues to make positive steps forwards, and he is in good spirits.”

Another update on Mr Johnson’s health earlier on Thursday stated the PM had enjoyed a “good night” in hospital and that his health “continues to improve”. While the Prime Minister is not officially working and the government is being run by Mr Raab, Sky News reported the remarks of Tobias Elwood, the former defence minister, who said the PM was “mentally able to make decisions” and was “accessible” to his cabinet colleagues.

But speaking from Downing Street Mr Raab made clear the Prime Minister was being allowed to recover without being asked to make decisions. Revealing he hadn’t spoken to Boris Johnson in days, Mr Raab confirmed he was authorised to make “big decisions”, saying “we have all the authority we need” for the time he has his hand on the rudder.

Mr Johnson first entered hospital on Sunday night, it was said on the advice of his doctors for further testing. Within 24 hours he had been transferred to an intensive care ward, but as previous Downing Street briefings revealed, he did not lose consciousness and was not placed on a ventilator.