UK's Johnson stable after second night in intensive care

UK's Johnson stable after second night in intensive care

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spent a second night in intensive care and was in a stable condition after receiving oxygen support for COVID-19 complications while his foreign minister directs the country's battle against the outbreak.

Lauren Anthony reports.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has spent a second night in intensive care.

And is in a stable condition after receiving oxygen support to help him fight COVID-19.

Fifty-five-year-old Johnson tested positive nearly two weeks ago and was taken to London's St Thomas' hospital on Sunday evening due to a persistent high temperature and cough.

His condition deteriorated on Monday (April 6) and he was rushed into an intensive care unit, but he was not put on a ventilator.

Foreign Minister Dominic Raab is in charge in his absence.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER, DOMINIC RAAB, SAYING: "I'm confident he'll pull through because if there's one thing I know about this prime minister, he's a fighter and he'll be back at the helm leading us through this crisis in short order." Meanwhile, the UK is entering what scientists say is the deadliest phase of the outbreak, and is grappling with the question of when to lift a lockdown - now in its third week.

Government ministers have been debating how long the world's fifth-largest economy could afford to be shut down for.

And the long-term implications of one of the most stringent set of emergency controls in peacetime history.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said there was no possibility of lifting lockdown measures any time soon, as the peak of the outbreak in Britain was still over a week away.