Europe’s virus spotlight moves to UK as Johnson hospitalised

Bloomberg

Prime minister Boris Johnson was taken to the hospital for tests as he struggles to recover from coronavirus, dealing a serious blow to the UK as the country prepares for the worst of the crisis.
Almost 5,000 people have died from Covid-19 in the UK so far and, according to government advisers and scientists, the peak of the outbreak is likely to hit in the next 7-10 days. On April 05, Queen Elizabeth II made a rare televised address to the nation, appealing for unity and invoking the spirit of wartime sacrifice to defeat the pandemic.
Europe’s worst-hit countries reported declines in deaths, with the latest data from Spain, Italy and France suggesting measures that have halted economies and forced people to stay home are having an effect. But while the rise in fatalities also slowed in the UK, Britain is behind other nations in the infections curve and is struggling to ramp up testing.
While Johnson, 55, remains technically in charge, he stayed in hospital overnight and will not be able to chair the critical daily meeting to coordinate the government’s response on Monday, according to an official. That thrusts the responsibility into the hands of foreign secretary Dominic Raab, who is Johnson’s de facto deputy.
US President Donald Trump sent well wishes to Johnson during his daily press briefing, saying “all Americans are praying for him.”
“He’s a friend of mine, he’s a great gentleman and a great leader,” Trump said. “But I’m hopeful and sure that he’s going to be fine — he’s a strong man, a strong person.”
The premier’s illness was initially described as mild, and there is no sign that it’s getting worse. Instead, his doctor advised that he should be admitted to the hospital for “precautionary” tests because symptoms, including a fever, have not cleared up. He remains in the undisclosed National Health Service hospital on Monday.
Johnson’s personal health problems add to the sense of confusion surrounding the UK’s response. His administration has struggled to prove it is on top of the pandemic, and faced criticism from health specialists and the national media.
Unlike in some other countries the UK has not conducted widespread testing to gather reliable data on infections, instead advising anyone with symptoms of a cough or a fever to self-isolate at home.
Medical experts including at the World Health Organization, and some of Johnson’s own Conservative colleagues, have questioned the government’s record on testing.