The Spectator

Covid-19 update: Boris ‘in good spirits’ – but still in ICU

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  • No. 10 says the PM is ‘good spirits’ in the Intensive Care Unit of St Thomas’ Hospital in London. He is receiving standard oxygen treatment but is not on a ventilator. Isabel Hardman has the latest.
  • Donald Trump has asked two pharmaceutical companies in London developing potential Covid-19 therapies to offer assistance to the PM.
  • A new report from University College London finds the school closures ‘do not appear to have a significant effect’ on the spread of Covid-19.
  • A father is facing a fine of up to £960 after his son continued to flout the new lockdown legislation, according to West Midlands police.
  • Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove is self-isolating, as a member of his family is showing Covid-19 symptoms.
Boris ‘in good spirits’ – but still in ICU

At 5 p.m. yesterday, Boris Johnson was talking about government affairs from his hospital bed. By 7 p.m. he was admitted into intensive care. There he remains, receiving oxygen treatment for his Covid-19 symptoms, though he has not yet needed a ventilator: word is that yesterday he needed four litres of oxygen, far less than a typical Covid-19 patient at the start of ICU treatment. He is not expected back at work in the next fortnight.

So who’s in charge? When it emerged that the de facto deputy Dominic Raab hadn’t spoken to Johnson since Saturday, it became obvious that things weren’t right. Today, the PM instructed his de facto deputy Dominic Raab to ‘assume responsibilities where appropriate’, while No. 10 confirmed that if the Foreign Secretary falls ill, it’s Chancellor Rishi Sunak who should step in. But these instructions are far from comprehensive.

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