Coronavirus: Boris Johnson's father says he must not go straight back to work when he leaves hospital
Stanley Johnson has spoken of his relief at the improvement in his son's condition.
2 min read
Boris Johnson's father has insisted the Prime Minister must "rest up" when he leaves hospital rather than going straight back to work in Number 10.
Stanley Johnson also spoke of his relief after his son left the intensive care unit where he was being treated for the coronavirus.
The PM has gone back to a general ward at St. Thomas's Hospital in London to continue his recovery from the potentially-deadly illness.
Speaking to Radio Four's Today programme, Stanley Johnson said his son had almost "taken one for the team" - and said his predicament proved the need for people to stay indoors to stop the spread of the disease.
On the public response to the Prime Minister's illness, he said: "I feel tremendously grateful obviously on behalf of the family, Boris’s family, my family, family members all over the place, and also, of course, amazingly thankful as well. Thankful for the tremendous outpouring of which we have seen."
Asked what his son should do when he leaves hospital, he said: "This is pretty straightforward now. He must rest up. As I understand it, he has moved from the ICU into a recovery unit but I don’t think you can say this is out of the wood now.
"He has to take time. I cannot believe you can walk away from this and get straight back to Downing Street and pick up the reins without a period of readjustment."
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab is standing in for the Prime Minister, but it is unclear how long Mr Johnson will take off after he leaves hospital.
A Downing Street spokesperson said on Thursday night: "The Prime Minister has been moved this evening from intensive care back to the ward, where he will receive close monitoring during the early phase of his recovery.
"He is in extremely good spirits."
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