BOJO BOUNCING BACK
Boris Johnson ‘had a good night and continues to improve’ in intensive care
BORIS Johnson "had a good night" in hospital and is continuing to improve in intensive care, No10 said this lunchtime.
As hopes began to rise that the PM might be on the mend, Downing Street insisted he is still in "good spirits" after several days in hospital.
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No10 said today: "The PM had a good night and continues to improve in intensive care at St Thomas’ Hospital.
"He is in good spirits."
The PM is still not doing any work in hospital and is still stable.
However, he is still having to receive oxygen treatment.
But he will not be going outside to clap for the NHS will millions of others tonight, No10 said.
Hie stand-in deputy Dominic Raab will do so in his place.
Boris is "sitting up in bed" and able to speak with hospital staff, the Chancellor revealed last night.
Rishi Sunak told reporters: "The PM remains in intensive care where his condition is improving."
He has also been able to pass messages to his pregnant fiance, Carrie Symonds, who can't be with him at his bedside.
Aides have stressed he is able to get in touch with anyone he needs to.
It's not yet known whether he has access to his phones.
Boris was admitted to hospital on Sunday evening for routine tests after his coronavirus symptoms failed to get any better.
He still had a temperature and a cough despite being ill for a week.
On Monday night he was rushed to intensive care after he started to struggle to breathe, and was given oxygen treatment.
So far he has not needed a ventilator, but one is available for him should he get worse and need it.
The Times reported yesterday his fever has begun to fall.
Former minister Tobias Ellwood said this lunchtime: "The Prime Minister is mentally able to make decisions, he is accessible as well.
"If a PM is incapacitated in that way, they either resign or it's covered up. We don't do that any more.
"I have been given assurances that the decision making process can work in this difficult scenario."
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Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State Mr Raab will deputise for Boris today at an emergency COBRA meeting to talk about extending the lockdown next week.
And he will lead any Cabinet decisions that have to be taken about whether to tighten or relax measures.
No10 stressed: "The First Secretary of State will lead any cabinet decision making process.";
This morning Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden warned that more lockdown measures could be introduced if Brits don't stick to rules to stay inside this Bank Holiday weekend.
He said the measures could be "enhanced" if they need to, in a firing shot to Brits thinking of getting out in the sun in the coming days.
It's expected that the lockdown will be extended past the three week target in the coming days - because Britain is not yet over the worst of the virus.
Speaking this morning, Scottish First Minister Sturgeon said: "I don't think there is any possibility, any likelihood of these lockdown measures being lifted immediately, or even imminently.
"I wouldn't expect any change coming out of today's Cobra meeting but we will see where the discussions take us."
Extensive work is being done across Whitehall on the Government's exit strategy, but they have yet to spell out any detail or say when the public might see a plan.
No10 say the focus now needs to be on stopping the spread of the virus and increasing capacity in the NHS to save lives.
It comes as Britain's death roll passed 7,000 yesterday.
And London Mayor Sadiq Khan suggested Britain is still 10 days off the peak - now expected to be at the end of next week rather than Easter Monday.
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Brits are being warned not to take advantage of the sun this weekend, despite predictions for beautiful weather.
Police have warned they might need extra powers to stop people from travelling long distances over the weekend.
Government advice has stressed that Brits should not use the long weekend to visit a second home as it's not necessary travel.
But there are fears fed-up Brits could ignore the advice and go out this weekend anyway.
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