UK's Johnson out of intensive care as his condition improves

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Dairy farmer Paul Tompkins, at South Acre Farm near York, England, Thursday April 9, 2020. British Environment Secretary George Eustice is meeting with farmers’ representatives as some dairy producers have started to pour away milk due to collapsing markets. The highly contagious COVID-19 coronavirus has impacted on nations around the globe, many imposing self isolation and exercising social distancing when people move from their homes. (Danny Lawson / PA via AP)

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FILE - In this Thursday, April 2, 2020 handout photo provided by 10 Downing Street, Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson claps outside 11 Downing Street to salute local heroes during Thursday’s nationwide Clap for Carers NHS initiative to applaud workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic, in London. Johnson has been moved to the intensive care unit of a London hospital on Monday, April 6, 2020 after his coronavirus symptoms worsened. Johnson’s office says Johnson is conscious and does not require ventilation at the moment. Johnson was admitted to St. Thomas’ Hospital late Sunday, 10 days after he was diagnosed with COVID-19. (Pippa Fowles/10 Downing Street via AP, File)

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A British police officer wears a 3M face mask, with few police officers in Britain seen wearing face masks since the outbreak of the coronavirus, outside St Thomas’ Hospital, in London, where Prime Minister Boris Johnson remains in intensive care as his coronavirus symptoms persist, Thursday, April 9, 2020. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson remains in intensive care with the coronavirus but is improving and sitting up in bed, a senior government minister said Wednesday, as the U.K. recorded its biggest spike in COVID-19 deaths to date. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

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FILE - In this file photo dated Tuesday, March 17, 2020, Britain’s Chancellor Rishi Sunak, left, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrive for a press briefing about the ongoing situation with the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, inside 10 Downing Street in London. With British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hospitalized and in intensive care Wednesday April 8, 2020, after contracting the new coronavirus, Sunak is among key players in Johnson’s Cabinet who will be directing Britain’s response to the highly contagious COVID-19 coronavirus, while their leader is being treated. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, FILE)

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A worker puts signs on fencing outside the newly setup coronavirus Nightingale Hospital North West at the G-MEX Manchester Central conference centre in Manchester, northern England, Thursday, April 9, 2020. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson remains in intensive care with the coronavirus but is improving and sitting up in bed, a senior government minister said Wednesday, as the U.K. recorded its biggest spike in COVID-19 deaths to date. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

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FILE - In this file image taken from video of the TWITTER/@BorisJohnson on Friday April 3, 2020, Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks from self isolation which he has been in since contracting coronavirus, Friday April 3, 2020. Johnson has been moved to the intensive care unit of a London hospital on Monday, April 6, 2020 after his coronavirus symptoms worsened. Johnson’s office says Johnson is conscious and does not require ventilation at the moment. Johnson was admitted to St. Thomas’ Hospital late Sunday, 10 days after he was diagnosed with COVID-19. (TWITTER/@BorisJohnson via AP, File)

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An image of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and quotes from her historic television broadcast commenting on the coronavirus pandemic are displayed on a big screen behind the Eros statue at Piccadilly Circus in London, Thursday, April 9, 2020. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson remains in intensive care with the coronavirus but is improving and sitting up in bed, a senior government minister said Wednesday, as the U.K. recorded its biggest spike in COVID-19 deaths to date. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

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A jogger passes a rainbow image in a shop window with the Italian words “andra tutto bene” which mean “everything will be ok” and “stay safe” in central London, Thursday, April 9, 2020. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson remains in intensive care with the coronavirus but is improving and sitting up in bed, a senior government minister said Wednesday, as the U.K. recorded its biggest spike in COVID-19 deaths to date. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

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A NHS (National Health Service) worker is tested for Covid-19 by a soldier at a drive-through testing centre, in Manchester, northern England, Thursday, April 9, 2020. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson remains in intensive care with the coronavirus but is improving and sitting up in bed, a senior government minister said Wednesday, as the U.K. recorded its biggest spike in COVID-19 deaths to date. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

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British police officers stand guard outside St Thomas’ Hospital, in London, where Prime Minister Boris Johnson remains in intensive care as his coronavirus symptoms persist, Thursday, April 9, 2020. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson remains in intensive care with the coronavirus but is improving and sitting up in bed, a senior government minister said Wednesday, as the U.K. recorded its biggest spike in COVID-19 deaths to date. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

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Britain’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who is taking charge of the Government’s response to the coronavirus crisis after Prime Minister Boris Johnson was admitted to intensive care on Monday, arrives at 10 Downing street in London, Thursday April 9, 2020. Johnson has spent his fourth night in the hospital’s intensive care unit. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (Aaron Chown/PA via AP)

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In this handout photo provided by 10 Downing Street, Britain’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab speaks during a media briefing on coronavirus in Downing Street, London, Thursday, April 9, 2020. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (Pippa Fowles/10 Downing Street via AP)

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A drawing of a rainbow with the word “Hope” by Logan age 6 is displayed in one of the windows of 10 Downing Street, London, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson remains in hospital following his admission on Sunday with continuing coronavirus symptoms Thursday April 9, 2020. The highly contagious COVID-19 coronavirus has impacted on nations around the globe, many imposing self isolation and exercising social distancing when people move from their homes. (Aaron Chown/PA via AP)

By JILL LAWLESS and PAN PYLAS

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was moved out of intensive care Thursday at the London hospital where he is being treated for the new coronavirus, as his government told Britons to prepare for several more weeks in lockdown.

Johnson had been in the ICU at St. Thomas’ Hospital since Monday after his symptoms of COVID-19 worsened.

Johnson’s office said he was “moved this evening from intensive care back to the ward, where he will receive close monitoring during the early phase of his recovery.”

It said Johnson was in “extremely good spirits.”

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The British leader tested positive for the new coronavirus two weeks ago and at first had only “mild” symptoms. He was hospitalized Sunday and taken to the ICU a day later. Johnson had been receiving oxygen without being placed on a ventilator.

His condition appeared to be improving over the past day or so. Earlier Thursday, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who has been standing in for the prime minister during key meetings, said Johnson was “making positive steps forward.”

News of Johnson’s improving condition was welcomed across the British political spectrum — and by U.S. President Donald Trump, who tweeted: “Great News: Prime Minister Boris Johnson has just been moved out of Intensive Care. Get well Boris!!!”

As Johnson recovered, the government told Britons it was too early to ease restrictions on public activity imposed March 23 to try to slow the spread of the virus.

The original restrictions were for three weeks, a period that ends Monday. But after chairing a meeting of the government’s crisis committee, COBRA, Raab said no decision on lifting the government’s stay-home order and business closures would be made “until evidence clearly shows that we’ve moved beyond the peak” of the outbreak.

Raab said “we’re starting to see the impact of the sacrifices we’ve all made, but the deaths are still rising and we haven’t yet reached the peak of the virus.”

He said the government and its scientific experts would assess the evidence again next week.

“We mustn’t give the coronavirus a second chance to kill more people and to hurt our country,” Raab said at the government’s daily news conference.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild to moderate symptoms such as fever and cough. But for some, especially older adults and the infirm, it can cause pneumonia and in some cases death.

Almost 8,000 people with the coronavirus have died in British hospitals, according to government figures. While the number of new confirmed cases has begun to plateau, deaths have neared the peaks seen in Italy and Spain, the two countries with the greatest number of fatalities.

On Thursday, the U.K. reported 881 new deaths, down from the 938 recorded the day before. Italy recorded a high of 969 deaths on March 27 and Spain 950 deaths on April 2.

The figures may not be directly comparable, however. Not all the U.K. deaths reported each day occurred in the preceding 24 hours, and the total only includes deaths in hospitals.

U.K. officials have suggested restrictions could be tightened if people flock to parks and outdoor spaces over what is forecast to be a warm, sunny Easter weekend. Currently most parks remain open, and people are allowed to go outside for essential work. shopping and exercise.

While most Britons have observed the rules, there have been breaches. Police in the northwest English city of Manchester said they had broken up 660 parties in the city over the past two weeks, including some with DJs and fireworks.

In some cases, police have been accused of excessive zeal. Nick Adderley, the chief of Northamptonshire Police in central England, said Thursday that his officers might have to set up road blocks and start “checking the items in (shopping) baskets and trolleys to see whether it’s a legitimate, necessary item.”

Civil liberties group Big Brother Watch called those comments “outrageous” and Adderley later clarified that his officers would not be inspecting people’s shopping.

Johnson’s government was slower than those in some European countries to impose restrictions on daily life in response to the pandemic, leading his critics to accuse him of complacency. Britain also had one of the lowest numbers of hospital beds per capita in Western Europe before the pandemic, with only about 5,000 intensive-care beds nationwide.

That number has been increased vastly in the past few weeks, both by converting other areas of hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients and by building temporary facilities, including a 4,000-bed hospital at London’s Excel conference center.

So far, hospitals have been stretched but not overwhelmed, But some medics say they are struggling and still have not received adequate supplies of personal protective equipment, or PPE

“We’re still, by and large, wearing the same equipment that we were a few weeks ago,” said Dr. Nishant Joshi, an accident and emergency doctor who works in a hospital north of London.

“We’re getting a higher volume of patients, and they are more unwell and they’re probably more contagious,” he said.

“So it’s fair to assume that the PPE that we were kind of making do with, it was a a hit and hope situation, a few weeks ago. It’s fair to say that it’s no longer adequate.”

James Slack, the prime minister’s spokesman, said “we are confident that enough supply is now reaching the front line” and that the government was working urgently to sort out any distribution problems with protective equipment.

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Associated Press Writer Danica Kirka contributed to this story.

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Follow AP news coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

UK’s Johnson out of intensive care as his condition improves

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