British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was undergoing tests in hospital after suffering persistent coronavirus symptoms for 10 days but he remained in charge of the government, according to media reports quoting his office and his Cabinet colleagues. The British premier was self-isolating for more than a week in Downing Street after testing positive COVID-19 last month. On Sunday evening, on the advice of his doctors, the 55-year-old Conservative leader was admitted to hospital for tests in what his office said was a "precautionary step". "On the advice of his doctor, the prime minister has tonight been admitted to hospital for tests," his Downing Street office said in a statement. Johnson is expected to stay overnight. "This is a precautionary step, as the prime minister continues to have persistent symptoms of coronavirus ten days after testing positive for the virus," the statement added. Britain is in the middle of a serious coronavirus outbreak, with almost 50,000 confirmed hospital cases and nearly 5,000 deaths so far. Earlier Health Minister Matt Hancock and heir to the throne, Prince Charles, were among the high-profile in the country who tested positive for the virus but they have recovered. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who has been nominated to take over temporarily if the prime minister is incapacitated, was due to chair the government's daily coronavirus meeting on Monday morning in Johnson's place. — Agencies
