UK sees almost 1,000 new virus deaths; Johnson improving

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson needs time to recover from the new coronavirus and is unlikely to be back at work soon, his father said Friday, as millions of Britons began an Easter holiday weekend in lockdown and the U.K. recorded almost 1,000 more COVID-19 deaths than the day before.

Britain’s official death toll of people with the coronavirus leapt by 980 Friday to 8,958 — a bigger daily increase than was seen in Italy and Spain, the two European countries with the greatest number of fatalities. Italy recorded a high of 969 deaths on March 27 and Spain 950 deaths on April 2.

The figures may not be directly comparable, however. The U.K. deaths reported each day occurred over several days or even weeks, and the total only includes deaths in hospitals.

Johnson, 55, spent three nights in the intensive care unit at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London after his COVID-19 symptoms worsened. He was moved back to a regular ward on Thursday evening, and his office said he was in “the early phase of his recovery.”

On Friday, Johnson's Downing St. office said he was able to take “short walks” between periods of rest and had spoken to his doctors to thank them “for the incredible care he has received.”

Johnson's spokesman, James Slack, said the prime minister “was waving his thanks to all the nurses and doctors that he saw as he was being moved from the intensive care unit back to the ward.”

Johnson's father said the prime minister needs to “rest up.”

“He has to take time,” Stanley Johnson told the BBC. “I cannot believe you can walk away from this and get straight back to Downing Street and pick up the reins without a period of readjustment.”

Johnson was diagnosed with COVID-19 two weeks ago, the first world leader confirmed...