Boris Johnson was discharged from hospital on Sunday after a week of treatment for the coronavirus.
Speaking for the first time in over a week since being admitted to St. Thomas’ Hospital in London, the UK prime minister implored people to stay at home and respect the rules of social distancing.
His message came as the number of deaths in the United Kingdom due to coronavirus passed 10,000.
“Our NHS is the beating heart of this country,” Johnson said, as he named the doctors and nurses who were by his side when he was hospitalised for COVID-19.
Two nurses in particular, Johnson said, stood by his bedside for 48 hours “when things could have gone either way.”
The UK government, meanwhile, has been criticised recently for its handling of the crisis including a delay in distributing personal protective equipment for doctors, nurses, and care workers.
The prime minister’s illness came as the epidemic worsened in the United Kingdom.
The UK government said that deaths related to COVID-19 had passed 10,000 with 737 more deaths between Saturday and Sunday.
Last week the government had confirmed more deaths in a single day due to coronavirus than any other European country with 980.
