BORIS Johnson was last night taken into hospital as a “precautionary step” 10 days after being diagnosed with coronavirus.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said: “On the advice of his doctor, the Prime Minister has tonight been admitted to hospital for tests.

“This is a precautionary step, as the Prime Minister continues to have persistent symptoms of coronavirus 10 days after testing positive for the virus.

“The Prime Minister thanks NHS staff for all of their incredible hard work and urges the public to continue to follow the Government’s advice to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives”.

The news comes a day after Johnson’s pregnant fiancée Carrie Symonds announced that she had experienced coronavirus symptoms.

Earlier in the day, The Sun quoted aides of the Prime Minister saying he “looked dreadful”.

Their source said he had been “coughing and spluttering” on video conference calls over the last few days.

Johnson has been due to end his seven days of self-isolation last Friday but was still recording a high temperature so continued to stay in his flat at No 11 Downing Street.

Speaking before Johnson’s admission to hospital, the health secretary Matt Hancock had claimed the Prime Minister was “in good spirits”.

Experts warn that a patient suffering a temperature for eight days could be at risk of pneumonia.

Asked about the Prime Minister’s health, Hancock, who was diagnosed with coronavirus at the same time as Johnson, told Sky News: “He’s OK, I’ve been talking to him every day, often several times a day, throughout this, throughout the time that both of us were off and so he has very much got his hand on the tiller but he has still got a temperature.

“In a way it shows this virus affects different people differently.

“I was lucky, I had two pretty rough days and then I bounced back.”

Number 10 said Johnson remained in charge of the government as was in contact with officials and ministers.

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