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The death toll of those hospitalized in Britain who tested positive for COVID-19 reached 6,159 as of Monday afternoon, a daily increase of 786, the Department of Health and Social Care said Tuesday.
As of Tuesday morning, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Britain hit 55,242, up 3,634 in the past 24 hours, said the department.
Chairing Tuesday's Downing Street daily press briefing, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, also First Secretary of State, told reporters that Prime Minister Boris Johnson has asked him to deputize for him for "as long as is necessary".
Earlier in the day, a Downing Street spokesman said Johnson, who was moved into intensive care on Monday night, is "stable" in hospital and has not been diagnosed with pneumonia.
The cabinet have a "clear direction" from Johnson, and is "focused with total unity and resolve" and will have "made the progress he would expect and the country would expect", said the foreign secretary.
Raab said he is confident the prime minister will pull through as "he's a fighter".
Co-charing the press conference with Raab, Government Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance said Britain has not seen a "big upswing in growth" in terms of hospital admissions and the "substantial" reduction in social contact should see a "substantial" reduction in new confirmed cases.
"There has not been an accelerated take-off. It's possible we are seeing the start of a change that will lead to numbers flattening off," he said, urging the public to stick to the social distancing measures until a more definitive trend emerges.
Johnson was admitted to St Thomas' Hospital in London with "persistent symptoms" on Sunday night, 10 days after testing positive for COVID-19.
The Downing Street spokesman said Johnson has been receiving standard oxygen treatment but has not required any other help with his breathing.
Meanwhile, Britain's Minister for the Cabinet Office Michael Gove confirmed Tuesday that he is self-isolating at home after a member of his family started to display mild symptoms of novel coronavirus.
Revealing his situation on Twitter, Gove said: "I have not displayed any symptoms and am continuing to work as normal."
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
