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U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson Leaves ICU and Is in 'Extremely Good Spirits' During Coronavirus Treatment

It seems U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is on the road to recovery.

The British leader, 55, had been receiving treatment for the symptoms of the novel coronavirus at an intensive care unit of St. Thomas’ Hospital in London since earlier this week, but has now been transferred to a regular hospital ward. He was first hospitalized on Sunday and on Monday night his office said he was taken to the ICU.

“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,” a Downing Street spokesperson said Thursday evening local time.

“He is in extremely good spirits.”

Johnson’s fiancée, Carrie Symonds, 32 — who is pregnant with their first child and who has also been recovering from coronavirus-like symptoms — tweeted a painting of a rainbow in apparent response to the good news.

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Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson

Johnson first revealed that he’d contracted the virus, which causes the respiratory disease COVID-19, on March 27 when he tweeted that he’d “developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus.”

Following nine days of self-isolation in the prime ministerial apartment above No. 11 Downing Street, he was taken to St. Thomas’ after his condition “worsened,” his office said Monday.

Aides described the move as precautionary and said that he remained awake and was not put on a ventilator.

In the prime minister’s absence, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has chaired the key meetings of the U.K. government, having been given the authority to take over the helm by Johnson.

Raab, 46, will continue in that position until Johnson returns from the hospital.

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