(Photo: REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo)
United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson was admitted to hospital to undergo a series of medical tests Sunday night, 10 days after getting infected with the dreaded novel coronavirus.
A spokeswoman from Downing Street disclosed the hospital admission was protocol and part of a precautionary step that had been made on the advice of the prime minister's doctor.
"It is a precautionary measure, because the prime minister appears to have ongoing coronavirus symptoms 10 days after he tested positive for the coronavirus," the spokeswoman said. Johnson is expected to remain in the hospital overnight, a source informed CNN.
The spokeswoman said the Prime Minister would like to thank the NHS personnel for all their outstanding hard work and advises the public to continue to follow the guidelines of the government to remain at home, protect the NHS and save lives, Dowing Street said.
Despite his health condition, Johnson had run the government remotely and remains fully in charge following his hospitalization.
CNN Medical Expert Dr. Kent Sepkowitz, a physician at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York and medical professor at Weill Cornell Medical College, said hospital visits could be appropriate for tests like a chest CT scan or advanced bloodwork.
Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon wished "the best and speedy recovery" for Johnson while Westminster Party leader Ian Blackford said he was "sorry" to read the report.
Conservatives have wished their leader well, with Secretary of Housing and Communities Robert Jenrick writing: "Look forward to see him back very soon in 10 Downing Street."
The British foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, is scheduled to chair the day-to-day cabinet meeting on Monday's pandemic. Under the succession plan of the nation, Raab will assume the duties of Johnson if he is incapacitated.
The hospitalization of Johnson is a powerful example of how profoundly the epidemic has infected governments around the world, sickening officials from Britain to Brazil, destroying senior assistance to Iran's supreme leader, and isolating the leaders of Germany and Canada.
With 41,903 confirmed cases and 4,313 deaths, it appears like Britain is taking the same bleak course as other European nations. Nevertheless, the British government came to the need for social distancing late, with Johnson at first balking at forcing pubs and restaurants to close.
Meanwhile, after suffering from coronavirus symptoms, Boris Johnson's pregnant fiancee Carrie Symonds has revealed that she has "spent the past week in bed" but is now recovering.
The 32-year-old, who is expecting their baby in early summer, falls into the category of vulnerable individuals advised to avoid contact with those with Covid-19 symptoms.
