Dominic Raab says Government working 'full throttle' for Boris Johnson as he leads coronavirus response from hospital

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Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said that the Government is working "full throttle" while Boris Johnson works from hospital as he battles coronavirus.

Speaking at the daily Covid-19 press conference at Downing Street on Monday, Mr Raab insisted that the Prime Minister is "still in charge" and his instructions are being implemented.

It comes after the PM was taken to St Thomas' hospital during the weekend as his symptoms continued to persist, with Mr Raab chairing the Government's coronavirus meeting on Monday instead.

When asked if he was ready to lead in Mr Johnson's place, the Foreign Secretary later added: “Look, he’s (Mr Johnson) in charge, but he’ll continue to take doctors’ advice on what to do next.”

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He said the team was “full throttle making sure that his directions and his instructions are being implemented and followed through whether it’s the purchase of ventilators through to the diplomatic effort to return UK nationals who are stranded abroad”.

Mr Raab also reiterated that the Prime Minister was admitted to hospital “as a precaution only”.

The Foreign Secretary said: “He was admitted to hospital for tests as a precaution only and that was because some of the symptoms that he had when he first tested positive had persisted.

“He’s had a comfortable night in St Thomas’ (Hospital), he’s in good spirits, and he’s being regularly updated.

A policeman walks past a people exercising with a dog in Roundhay Park, Leeds
PA

“And he still remains in charge of the Government and we are getting on with all of the various strands of work to make sure at home and abroad we can defeat the virus and pull the country through coronavirus and the challenges that undoubtedly we’re facing at the moment.”

Asked if the PM was taking a risk by continuing to work, Mr Raab said: “Just to be clear, the PM – both in terms of going into St Thomas’ yesterday – was taking the advice of doctors, so he’s followed the doctors’ advice there and, in terms of his recovery in the days ahead, will continue to do so.”

A woman walks past a boarded up restaurant in Edinburgh's Old Town as the UK continues in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.
PA

On the lockdown exit strategy for the UK, he said: “The risk right now is if we take our focus off the strategy which is beginning to work, is that we won’t get through the peak as fast as we need to, which is why it’s perfectly legitimate to ask the question, but the Government’s over-riding priority has got to be to keep up the work and the commitment that so many people have made to make sure that we maintain the social distancing, we stop the spread, we protect the NHS as we come through the peak.”

Mr Raab also said he would not comment on security matters when asked if he had taken over any of the Prime Minister’s security responsibilities.

He said Mr Johnson was being “kept abreast” of developments.

Pressed again on why Mr Johnson is sick enough to be in hospital but well enough to be running the country, Mr Raab said: “That’s something he will decide on the medical advice he’s received from his doctor.”

Chief Medical Office Professor Chris Whitty, who joined his first press briefing since recovering from Covid-19, said he was not responsible for recommending Mr Johnson went to hospital, and praised the PM’s medical advisers as “outstanding”.

Asked about the pneumonia risk to Mr Johnson, Prof Whitty said: “I’m absolutely not going to discuss any individual patient nor, to be clear, do I have all the details; nor should I as this is an issue between him and his medical advisers.

“I can give a general answer which is the clear majority of people who do end up going to hospital, they end up going into a general bed, they may or may not need oxygen and other things, and they don’t need to go further than that.”

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