Boris Johnson Discharged From U.K. Hospital But Won’t Resume Duties Just Yet

Topline: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was discharged from the hospital where he was being treated for COVID-19 and returned home on Sunday, a major step in his recovery from the virus that forced him into intensive care for three nights. 

• Though Johnson’s condition has improved, the prime minister will continue to receive medical attention at Chequers, the prime minister’s country residence, and will not assume his duties as leader of the U.K. 
• “On the advice of his medical team, the P.M. will not be immediately returning to work,” Johnson’s office said in a statement. “He wishes to thank everybody at St Thomas’ for the brilliant care he has received.”
• Johnson, who received intensive care at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London, had handed over the responsibilities of running the country to Britain’s foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, and will soon begin to sign off on major decisions — such as when to ease the country’s lockdown measures — again, his office said. 
• With Johnson in intensive care, government officials had raised questions about who would take over should his condition worsen, as the country does not have a formal succession plan like the United States; in turn, the prime minister had “deputized” Raab. 
• Johnson first announced his positive coronavirus test on March 27 in a video on Twitter, saying his symptoms were “mild.” 
• But on April 5, the prime minister was admitted to a hospital after his condition did not improve; Johnson was then moved to the intensive care unit a day later. 

Big number: The U.K. is one of the hardest hit countries in the West, with the death count on Sunday standing at 9,875 and the case numbers totaling more than 78,000. 

What we don’t know: When the country will reopen. Now out of the hospital, Johnson will face the crucial decision of when and how to ease social distancing guidelines in the country.