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Boris Johnson to update UK on ‘steps to defeat’ COVID-19

Johnson returned to work in Downing Street on Monday but missed Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday following the birth of his son.

Boris Johnson to update UK on ‘steps to defeat’ COVID-19

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he chairs a COVID-19 update meeting in the Cabinet Room, on his first day back after recovering from COVID-19, inside 10 Downing Street in central London (Photo: AFP)

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will chair a cabinet meeting on Thursday and then lead the daily coronavirus briefing for the first time since his return to work after recovering from the disease.

In a statement, No 10 said the Prime Minister, whose fiancee Carrie Symonds gave birth to a baby boy on Wednesday, will update the UK on the “fight against this disease and the steps we are taking to defeat it”, the BBC reported.

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Johnson returned to work in Downing Street on Monday but missed Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday following the birth of his son.

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The ongoing nationwide lockdown imposed on March 23, is due to be reviewed on May 7.

Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said Sage would be reporting to Johnson and to the cabinet, with decisions about any easing of the lockdown being made on the basis of the evidence they provided.

“Being absolutely frank, I don’t think you’re going to hear specific detail – I think that would be premature,” the BBC quoted Buckland as saying.

Earlier this week, Johnson said the lockdown would not be relaxed too soon and details on any changes would be set out over the “coming days”.

Johnson was admitted to St Thomas’ Hospital on the advice of his doctor, after continuing to have a cough and high temperature 10 days after testing positive for the virus.

Johnson was back on his feet last week and took short walks between periods of rest, in what his office described as the early stage of recovery.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who is also the first secretary of state, had been deputized by Johnson to carry out his duties during his illness.

On March 23, PM Johnson ordered the initial three-week lockdown to tackle the spread of the virus, shutting “non-essential” shops and services, and banning gatherings of more than two people.

As of Thursday, there were 166,441 confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK, with 26,166 deaths, according to data by the Washington-based Johns Hopkins University.

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