MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Boris Johnson remains in intensive care with his condition “improving”

Johnson's official spokesman said he remained “clinically stable” and is responding to treatment, describing the Conservative leader as being in “good spirits”.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's condition was said to be “improving” on Wednesday, as he spent a third day in intensive care battling COVID-19. The disease has struck at the heart of the British government, infected more than 60,000 people across nationwide and killed more than 7,000.

“The latest from the hospital is that the prime minister remains in intensive care where his condition is improving,” Finance Minister Rishi Sunak said at a briefing. “He has been sitting up in bed and engaging positively with the clinical team.”

Earlier, Johnson's official spokesman said he remained “clinically stable” and is responding to treatment, describing the 55-year-old Conservative leader as being in “good spirits”.

The update came as newspapers urged Britons to keep their stricken leader at the forefront of their minds, with a lockdown to try to stem the spread of COVID-19 now in its third week.

“He stayed at work for you ... now pray at home for him,” The Sun tabloid splashed across its front page. “Boris 'will pull through'” said the Daily Express.

Deputizing for Johnson, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called him “a fighter” and predicted “he'll be back, leading us through this crisis in short order”.

Johnson is the most high-profile government leader to become infected with COVID-19 and messages of support flooded in from across Britain and the world.

He was admitted to intensive care on Monday evening after spending Sunday night in hospital following concerns he still had a cough and high temperature 10 days after being diagnosed with COVID-19.

His transfer to intensive care is unprecedented for a prime minister during a national emergency in modern times.

For many people, it brought home the seriousness of the disease that has so far seen 7,097 deaths in Britain, with a record 938 more reported in a daily update on Wednesday.

Downing Street said it was still too soon to say whether stringent social distancing measures introduced on Mar 23 for an initial three-week period would be eased. A review is expected next week, although Sunak said “our priority right now is to stop the spread of this virus”, suggesting the lockdown would be extended.

Meanwhile, Number 10 also revealed on Wednesday that it expected its chief Brexit negotiator David Frost to speak early next week to his European Union counterpart Michel Barnier to agree a timetable for “remote” talks in April and May.