Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday vowed that Britain “ will defeat” the deadly coronavirus, soon after he was discharged from hospital following week-long intensive care treatment for the disease that has killed over 10,000 people in the country.
Downing Street said that Johnson left St. Thomas’ Hospital in London and will head to his prime ministerial residence of Chequers in Buckinghamshire, south east England. In a video message recorded to mark his discharge as well as Easter Sunday, the 55-year-old leader said that the UK “ will defeat this coronavirus and defeat it together” .
He said: “ I have today left hospital after a week in which the NHS (National Health Service) has saved my life, no question. It’s hard to find the words to express my debt.
“ And the reason in the end my body did start to get enough oxygen was because for every second of the night they (NHS doctors and nurses) were watching and they were thinking and they were caring and making the interventions I needed” .
Johnson name-checked a number of the “ utterly brilliant” doctors and nurses for their care during his week-long hospitalisation and stressed that the UK will win the “ national battle” against coronavirus because the NHS is the “ beating heart of this country”.
“ It is the best of this country. It is unconquerable. It is powered by love. So thank you from me, and from all of us, to the NHS, and let’s remember to follow the rules on social distancing. Stay at home, protect our NHS — and save lives,” he said.
As he wished the British public a Happy Easter, Johnson also expressed his thanks to the many millions and millions of people across this country doing the right thing and going through the hardship of self-isolation.