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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s condition improving; still in ICU with coronavirus

Johnson has been sitting up in bed and engaging with his doctors at St. Thomas’ Hospital, Britain's Treasury chief says.

Police officers stand outside St Thomas' Hospital in central London, where Prime Minister Boris Johnson remains in intensive care.
Police officers stand outside St Thomas' Hospital in central London, where Prime Minister Boris Johnson remains in intensive care.Read moreDominic Lipinski / AP
    by Associated Press, The Associated Press
    Published 

LONDON — Britain’s Treasury chief says Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s condition is improving in the intensive care unit of a London hospital.

Rishi Sunak says Johnson has been sitting up in bed and engaging with his doctors at St. Thomas’ Hospital.

Johnson was admitted to the hospital on Sunday, 10 days after being diagnosed with COVID-19. He was transferred to the ICU on Monday when his condition deteriorated.

Johnson’s spokesman said earlier Wednesday that the prime minister was receiving “standard oxygen treatment” and is breathing without any other assistance.

Johnson, 55, is the first world leader confirmed to have the new coronavirus.

The U.K. also saw its biggest spike in deaths from the virus to date.

A shaken U.K. government sought to keep a grip on its response to the outbreak with its leader hospitalized and the number of COVID-19-related deaths approaching the peaks seen in Italy and Spain, the two countries with the greatest number of fatalities.

Britain's confirmed death toll reached 7,097 on Wednesday, an increase of 938 from 24 hours earlier. Italy recorded 969 deaths on March 27 and Spain 950 deaths on April 2.

Not all the deaths reported each day occurred in the preceding 24 hours, and the British total only includes deaths in hospitals.