Boris Johnson out of intensive care as treatment for COVID-19 continues

• By Colin Dwyer, NPR

Boris Johnson is out of intensive care.

The British prime minister’s office announced Thursday that medical workers have moved him back to the regular ward at St. Thomas’ Hospital in central London, where he is being treated for persistent symptoms linked with COVID-19.

“He is in extremely good spirits,” said Johnson’s office, which explained in a statement that after his move Thursday evening, the U.K.’s top politician “will receive close monitoring during the early phase of his recovery.”

The announcement represents some bright news for a country badly beset by the coronavirus in recent weeks. The U.K. has reported more than 61,000 confirmed cases of the virus, more than 7,100 of which have ended in the patient’s death, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Yet few of those confirmed cases have attracted as much worldwide attention as that of Johnson, believed to be the first major world leader to test positive.

The 55-year-old prime minister was diagnosed with the virus on March 26 and was admitted to the hospital Sunday after his cough and fever failed to loosen their hold. At the time, British officials downplayed his hospitalization as a “precautionary step” — but roughly just one day later, Johnson’s condition appeared to take a much more serious turn with his placement in the ICU.

And there he remained for about three days, while others in Johnson’s cabinet sought to reassure British residents and express confidence that — as Dominic Raab, his foreign secretary, put it — “he’ll be back at the helm, leading us through this crisis in short order.”

Now prominent figures, both in Johnson’s government and beyond the U.K.’s borders, are applauding Thursday’s turn of events. Among those cheered by the news: his friend and close political ally, U.S. President Trump.

“Get well Boris!!!” the president tweeted Thursday in celebration.