United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson was admitted to the hospital Sunday for further testing after having “persistent symptoms” from coronavirus that lasted over a week after being diagnosed.
Johnson was hospitalized on the same day Queen Elizabeth II gave a televised speech imploring British citizens to follow social distancing procedures to combat COVID-19 outbreak. (RELATED: Was The Stockpile Shortage Under Obama A Result Of The Tea Party? Not So Fast)
“On the advice of his doctor, the Prime Minister has tonight been admitted to hospital for tests,” a Downing Street spokesperson said in a statement. “This is a precautionary step, as the Prime Minister continues to have persistent symptoms of coronavirus ten days after testing positive for the virus.”
“The Prime Minister thanks NHS staff for all of their incredible hard work and urges the public to continue to follow the Government’s advice to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.”
Break: PM admitted to hospital for tests pic.twitter.com/Ci0ZfRdIvs
— Beth Rigby (@BethRigby) April 5, 2020
Johnson, 55, still continues to lead the British government’s efforts to control the pandemic while showing symptoms of the virus. The prime minister’s pregnant finance is also self-isolating in her own apartment, The Daily Mail reports.
The Guardian reports, “Johnson was more seriously ill than either he or his officials were prepared to admit, and that he was being seen by doctors who were concerned about his breathing.”
The United Kingdom currently has over 48,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus resulting in 4,943 deaths, according to the Washington Post.