PM Boris Johnson moved out of ICU as lockdown continues in the UK

UK's Prime Minister Boris Johnson was moved out of intensive care on Thursday evening at St Thomas' Hospital in London, as his government and nation continues to battle the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

Johnson, 55, had tested positive for COVID-19 two weeks ago, forcing him hand over the reins of government to Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab. He was admitted to St Thomas' on Sunday evening with a persistent fever and cough, and was subsequently moved to intensive care on Monday, where he received treatment for three nights.

In a statement, a spokesperson from his office said that the prime minister, who is still in hospital, was "in extremely good spirits" and "will receive close monitoring during the early phase of his recovery".

PM Johnson and his fellow Britons are preparing for an extended lockdown of several more weeks. "Deaths are still rising, and we still haven't seen the peak of the virus. So it's still too early to lift the measures that we've put in place. We must stick to the plan", Foreign Secretary Raab said in a televised briefing on Thursday.

As of 9 April, the UK has seen more than 65,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and nearly 8,000 fatalities.