Boris Johnson hasn’t spoken to his deputy Dominic Raab since Saturday, before he was admitted to hospital.
And he repeatedly refused to explain why the PM is well enough to work, yet sick enough to be in hospital.
The Prime Minister was taken to St Thomas’ Hospital in Central London on Sunday evening for tests after his coronavirus symptoms became persistent.
But the Foreign Secretary, who is next in line to fill in for him if he is too sick to work, hasn’t spoken to him for two days.
During the daily Number 10 briefing on Covid-19, Mr Raab said he spoke to Mr Johnson “over the weekend” – but insisted the PM was being kept abreast of developments and was still in charge fo the government.
(Image: PA)
Pressed on when he last spoke to the PM, he said it was on Saturday.
Earlier the PM’s official spokesman also said he had not spoken to Mr Johnson today.
Asked about contact with Mr Johnson, the spokesman said: “The PM is in touch with No10, yes.”
He said he hadn’t spoken to him personally – and wouldn’t say if he was communicating by phone, text or email – “but the PM has been in touch with No 10 colleagues”.
This morning, Mr Raab chaired the Number 10 Coronavirus “war cabinet” usually led by Mr Johnson.
Mr Raab said he would not comment on security matters when asked if he had taken over any of the Prime Minister’s security responsibilities.
He said Mr Johnson was being “kept abreast” of developments.
Pressed again on why Mr Johnson is sick enough to be in hospital but well enough to be running the country, Mr Raab said: “That’s something he will decide on the medical advice he’s received from his doctor.”
Professor Whitty said he was not responsible for recommending Mr Johnson went to hospital, and praised the PM’s medical advisers as “outstanding”.
Asked about the pneumonia risk to Mr Johnson, Prof Whitty said: “I’m absolutely not going to discuss any individual patient nor, to be clear, do I have all the details; nor should I as this is an issue between him and his medical advisers.
“I can give a general answer which is the clear majority of people who do end up going to hospital, they end up going into a general bed, they may or may not need oxygen and other things, and they don’t need to go further than that.”
