to really need face—to—face contact to win arguments and persuade, to twist elbows. have we learnt anything about how borisjohnson has been able to govern in isolation and how he might continue to govern from the side of a bed or twin tests, given that he cannot persuade people face to face? the curiosity of the last ten days is what we have seen from the prime minister has been effectively playing out on our tv screens the very thing that plenty of people have been fortunate enough to be able to carry on working since the lockdown, but working from home have had to adjust for themselves, in other words battling with technology that ten days ago three weeks ago we'd never heard of but suddenly we are reliant on, like zoom, the video conferencing facility and we know he has chaired cabinet meetings and is talking to the chief medical officer and others as well, as well as conversations thatis as well, as well as conversations that is a prime minister, day to day, you have, and we know that yesterday he spoke to sir keir

starmer as he was elected as the new labour leader. so, in that sense, he can continue as the downing street statement makes clear, doing such things while in hospital, but crucially the detail we don't know as yet, as i open up my phone to see ifi as yet, as i open up my phone to see if i found out anything else, and i haven't, as we were saying, the extent to which this is a trip in order to have tests in a domestic setting. rather than something more serious. we will give you chris mason a few minutes to look at what is going on. to see if he can speak to many people and if you can do that from here in case i need to go back. first of all what i'd like to do is quickly repeat the gist of the statement. and on the advice of a doctor the prime minister has been admitted to hospital for tests and continues to have consistent symptoms and the background to the statement is that the prime minister remains in charge of the government and is in charge of ministerial

collea g u es and is in charge of ministerial colleagues and officials. let's go now to the deputy political editor of the spectator, katy balls. we katie, you are obviously finding out this news at the same time as the rest of us, what are your thoughts? it is pretty worrying because we have known that there had been several cabinet ministers who have had coronavirus and tested positive but they have recovered quickly generally for example matt hancock. if you look at the video is boris johnson is doing that was the best of him in behind the scenes he was still having symptoms. but i think it is important to point out that the moment this is not an emergency admission, it is because he has persistent symptoms. of course we repeat to say what downing street have told us once again, this is a

precautionary step, these are precautionary step, these are precautionary reasons, he has gone to hospitalfor precautionary reasons, he has gone to hospital for tests and precautionary reasons, he has gone to hospitalfor tests and downing street says, just to repeat this, this is not an emergency admission. he will continue to govern, even if he is sitting on the side of a hospital bed doing cold and between tests. is that how it is to govern asa tests. is that how it is to govern as a prime minister during the age of coronavirus? —— doing phone calls between tests. yes, if you look at downing street and if you look at even how government aides are communicating with each other that are not that many people in the building right now, so i think working remotely isn't an issue, what is an issue as if the symptoms don't go away, if they escalate, but i think the issue is not an escalation of the systems, —— an escalation of the systems, —— an escalation of the symptoms, it is the fact that they are persistent symptoms, but they have not gone

away as you possibly expect, the fa ct away as you possibly expect, the fact that they have got worse. well ifi fact that they have got worse. well if i said i'm not going to be working, let me go away and helped talk she was a few days, can a prime minister do that? i think the prime minister do that? i think the prime minister is very reluctant to let someone else step in right now, i think partly because he wants to be showing the country that he is ready to be lead to, that she is ready to lead the country through this, i think if he has to take time out the de facto leader is the secretary of state is dominic rab, but that also a large of other leaders who are in charge of subcommittees leading the coronavirus response, so the system is in place if they need to book the prime minister is obviously very keen to show that he is keen to leave this from the front, potentially he could leave some time out, but it is quite clear from all the messaging from downing street,

the messaging from downing street, the fact that the prime minister has been suffering and very keen to do these video updates, that this is something he does not want to have to do unless he has to. of course, only a prime minister can make decisions, might there be on his mind thinking he actually has to solve disputes in the cabinet, we we re solve disputes in the cabinet, we were hearing there was a dispute between the health secretary and the chancellor, and the end you do need one decision—maker if he is to continue or otherwise. one decision—maker if he is to continue or otherwiselj one decision—maker if he is to continue or otherwise. i think if you look at the various competing interests of com pa ny you look at the various competing interests of company a miss ministers in terms of what their previous four coronavirus —— the various competing interests of cabinet ministers. because there are persistent symptoms rather than key symptoms, i think she is able to do that but if it gets worse he may have to do that and it is dominic rab he would step in, but that then

has an effect looking at the coronavirus response in terms of getting citizens from other countries back to the uk. let us ta ke countries back to the uk. let us take a break for that because i want to bring in some copy that has been sentin to bring in some copy that has been sent in by our political editor. it is understood that the prime minister was taken to hospital early this evening. he is expected to stay in overnight having been admitted and has had what have been described as of 18 tests. downing street says borisjohnson is still leading the government's response to the crisis, loving continues. the foreign secretary dominic rab is expected to chair the government's 915 coronavirus meeting. borisjohnson is understood to have had a high temperature and symptoms of coronavirus for the last ten days. that is the copy that has been given to us by our political editor. i

don't know if you are able to hear me katie, reading out that piece of information, essentially saying that whilst borisjohnson information, essentially saying that whilst boris johnson continues information, essentially saying that whilst borisjohnson continues to lead the government, the main monday morning meeting will now be carried out by his de facto deputy dominic raab. dominic rab is the first section to the states i know he has been termed the designated survivor if something happens to borisjohnson. —— dominic raab is the first secretary of state. but a deputy prime minister who is chairing meetings, might there not be some uncertainty among civil servants about who they need to convince and who might have the final word?|j

think ina who might have the final word?|j think in a situation like that you will have the prime minister clearly trying to oversee it but not effectively there for every decision andi effectively there for every decision and i think it is going to be increasingly hands—off no matter how much they want to be involved in this. i think if you look at the relationship between borisjohnson and dominic raab, dominic raab is very trusted by number ten, he was made secretary of state for brexit while brexit was the biggest thing on the news agenda, and those around borisjohnson on the news agenda, and those around boris johnson wants someone on the news agenda, and those around borisjohnson wants someone they can trust who would put forward his addenda if for example he would have to ta ke addenda if for example he would have to take some time out because that is what the first secretary of state is, it is the de facto deputy. so in terms of wondering why dominic raab could act for the prime minister, that would work fairly well, but in terms of the other ministers, it would be whether bale can work like that, but for now clearly the message in a form ten is that for the prime minister dominic raab is still making the final call so it has dominic raab dared to make other

decisions involving that. depending on what goes on you might have to see dominic raab stepping in but again this is very early stages because at the moment as we understand this is about persistent symptoms, not an escalation of symptoms, not an escalation of symptoms, and this is not an emergency admission so he can still share, he can still speak to people. also on the line is a former naval registrar. andrew, i don't know how much you have been told by the prime minister has been taken for tests but downing street says that boris johnson will continue to lead the government but dominic raab will chair meetings. what is your response? i am sorry to hear this but i have to say though the prime minister has looked increasingly u nwell minister has looked increasingly unwell during the past week but has clearly been doing his level best to

remain on top of things and doing a good job in my opinion, but this is an extraordinary change and it does affect things and a lot of different ways and i really do wish the prime minister that a swift recovery, but i have worked with dominic raab and in the foreign office and i have to say he is extremely competent, he is not the first secretary of state for nothing and i think he will be a formidable caretaker while the prime minister recovers in hospital, is that i have no doubt. i think we have all been impressed by the daily briefings and the sure—footedness of ministers, particularly matt hancock the health secretary, and the feedback i'm getting for my constituents and others is that they are confident in the government supported by experts and i have no doubt that this will not affect the course of the government of this particular crisis. you have a medical background, when you read what downing street says that the

prime minister has had symptoms for ten days, but they need to be precautionary tests, would you think it might be simplerfor him just precautionary tests, would you think it might be simpler for him just to concentrate on his health for a few days and not to hand over the government to someone else while he gets better? well i don't know the exact situation and how the prime minister is, i think he really has been struggling with coronavirus, but if downing street says he has just been admitted for test we have to take it at face value. coronavirus is very unpleasant, we know, he is in the care of our national health service i'm sure he is in very safe hands and he will be back very soon, but in the meantime i hope he will be able to manage this situation as best he can, i have every confidence in our cabinet government and the experts that are advising senior ministers and i know that boris will be remaining in

strategic control of the situation because obviously decisions on a moment to moment basis will have to be taken by other senior ministers which is right and proper. in any crisis, whether it is this kind of crisis, whether it is this kind of crisis or elsewhere, the one thing thatis crisis or elsewhere, the one thing that is needed is absolute clarity about who is making decisions, and is there not a danger here that if downing street says borisjohnson is still leading the government but if dominic raab is chairing the government's morning meeting about coronavirus, that they might need to be some clarity about who is the final decision—maker these days? be some clarity about who is the final decision-maker these days? no, i don't think that is true, the two men are close and that is why dominic raab is first secretary of state so i don't think there will be any confusion... i think the lines of control and command are quite clear. the civil service, of course is formidable, the cabinet secretary

will be reading this and i had no problems at all with the governance of this crisis. what i do want, though, is for boris to get the medical attention that he needs, and for him to be back fully well as soon as possible, and i'm quite clear of the majority of people miss him well. in terms of gripping the situation and the government and the government's particularly of the coronavirus crisis i am in no way concerned about the situation given that the prime minister hasjust been admitted to hospital in british history we have had five ministers who have been ill before. i can give times when churchill was ill during his two long premierships and other times when other prime ministers had needed medical treatment. but this is unusual in that the prime minister's illness is actually the illness that is causing the national

crisis, we have not experienced that before. matter is the bitter irony of course, and the same goes for matt hancock, this disease does not discriminate in respect individuals, we all have to play our part in ensuring it gets no further, and thatis ensuring it gets no further, and that is why the government is putting out the message that social distancing is so vitally important particularly as the weather gets better and we attempted outside, thatis better and we attempted outside, that is certainly the most important thing we can do to prevent it in its tracks. conservative mp andrew murrison, there. thank you forjoining us. let's speak now to the editor of politico's london playbook, jack blanchard.

downing street have had to play the down as much as possible, saying this is only a precautionary measure and he will only be an overnight. i think if you're working on number ten at the moment you need to keep things as calm as possible, so course in numberten things as calm as possible, so course in number ten they are things as calm as possible, so course in numberten they are keen to say he is still in charge and just taking a precaution but like make no mistake this will be the la st make no mistake this will be the last thing borisjohnson make no mistake this will be the last thing boris johnson wanted to have do so his condition must be reasonably concerning for him to be in hospital tonight. in reasonably concerning for him to be in hospitaltonight. in america it is very clear cut with the 25th amendment, if the president is able he hands over power to and there is never any doubt to he was in charge. in contrast in the uk we have boris johnson still officially in charge of the government but dominic raab now chairing the morning meeting. is there a danger of blurred lines here? we are already facing a

situation where the government is not operating supremely effectively at the highest level. if you cast your eyes on the sunday paper today your eyes on the sunday paper today you will have seen the effect of backbiting and infighting that is already happening at the top levels of government, and part of that is probably because boris johnson of government, and part of that is probably because borisjohnson has only been 70% is engaged as he wanted to be because obviously he has been ill with a very high temperature and has not been involved as he is he would like. dominic raab is clearly a designated first secretary of state, that means he does step into the breach when borisjohnson is out, but for this to be happening at any time would not be ideal for the government, but to come back to the point, this is happening at what we hope was going to be the absolute peak of this crisis, and, you know it is very difficult to be able to command the sort of grip over the government that you want to be able to do from a hospital ward and it is very difficult for dominic raab to command full grip over the

government because he has never done it before and he is only and therefore we hope 24 hours but we ultimately don't know how long he is actually going to be in there. thank you very much. we would just like to give a little bit of a recap to people that are justjoining us. a downing street spokesman said that following the advice of his doctor the prime minister has been admitted to hospitalfor the prime minister has been admitted to hospital for tests. the the prime minister has been admitted to hospitalfor tests. the prime minister continues to have persistent symptoms of coronavirus ten days after testing positive for the virus and it was considered sensible for the doctors to see the prime minister in person given he has ongoing symptoms. he remains in contact with the government and officials. our political editor has sentin officials. our political editor has sent in some copy to the government here which says the prime minister is expected to stay overnight in hospitalfor is expected to stay overnight in hospital for tests but remains is expected to stay overnight in hospitalfor tests but remains in charge of government but dominic raab the first secretary of state

will be directing the government is 9:15am morning meeting into coronavirus. let's speak now to the gp, dr sarahjarvis. we have talked a lot about politics for the last 40 minutes. perhaps we can switch and talk about medicine. i know you have not examined boris johnson, like all others you have followed the bulletins given by downing street. but boris has persistent symptoms, he is now having precautionary tests, talk us through what this means from a medical point of view. the majority of people who develop coronavirus have mild symptoms, the older you are then more likely is that you'll reach a severe stage with this. the result of a severe stage and moderate stage in a critical stage. these symptoms suggest to me that he probably has moderate disease that asa probably has moderate disease that as a precaution he is being taken in

to check the oxygen levels in his blood to do x—rays and probably scans on his chest and to do test to see what his white cell counts look like and what his liver function tests look like. the main focus now however is going to be on his lungs because if you are going to progress the majority of people will progress to develop inflammation of the lungs and that inflammation can result in damage to lung tissue but also importantly can prevent oxygen being transferred into the bloodstream. how long would it take for these times of tests to give the kind of a nswe rs times of tests to give the kind of answers doctors might need? the original test will take literally seconds, you can plant a monitor onto somebody‘s finger and that will give you the results very quickly. in fact give you the results very quickly. infact in give you the results very quickly. in fact in general practice we have system set up where people who have been discharged from hospital are having these tests delivered to them and they just pop having these tests delivered to them and theyjust pop the meat onto their finger and theyjust pop the meat onto theirfinger and within and theyjust pop the meat onto their finger and within 30 seconds it will give them a result. —— pop

the metre onto their finger. the x—ray another test will take a little longer, and couple of hours i would say. would you advise patients, not the prime minister, to simply rest and not do theirjob, do you understand if the prime minister would say i really have to continue, would say i really have to continue, would that be possible for someone with these kinds of symptoms?” think it is very physical, he is —— i think it is very difficult, he is not doing a physical kind ofjob otherwise there is not —— although there is a lot of adrenaline involved i am sure, but when you are starting to struggle walking up the stairs and with other everyday activities those are the sort of levels where you should be calling for emergency help. when you hear him speaking his brain sounds like she is getting enough oxygen but he

clearly is struggling. when a doctor is speaking to a patient and a patient is well do you feel that you have the authority to actually order them to vest and to stop working and that you expect them to follow those instructions for their own health. every patient has the right if they have mental capacity to do whatever they want. i shall have had patient in the past two i have told i think they have cancer and should go to they have cancer and should go to the hospital urgently to be assessed, they have said no and i there is nothing i can do about it. ican give there is nothing i can do about it. i can give a strong indication, i can make it very clear that i think thatis can make it very clear that i think that is what they should do, but if they have mental capacity they can say no. however the prime minister does have a responsibility to everybody in the country and i certainly think that if a doctor did tell him that they thought he must of strongly advised he should stop being in charge of the country, i

think she would take that advice. that is a fascinating answer and also we are nonscientists and not doctors have learned a little bit about how coronavirus hits different people at different levels. matt hancock and boris johnson seem people at different levels. matt hancock and borisjohnson seem to get different symptoms, that is delivering daily news conferences, borisjohnson is delivering daily news conferences, boris johnson is getting precautionary tests, it seems that this is a disease that hits different people at different levels. very much so, and there are many levels. very much so, and there are any levels. very much so, and there are many many factors that determine how badly you are affected. one of them is age, one people are very much less likely to be severely affected. however, the much older you get and the more other conditions you have a bit damp down your immune system the more likely you are to be severely affected. however there are other issues, but another one is the dose of virus that you get, which may be perhaps that those who live in a house with someone who has been

infected and are constantly exposed to the virus may be more likely to get seriously infected. there is also a condition where your immune system also a condition where your immune syste m ca n also a condition where your immune system can go into overdrive and that may lead to some people getting very severe inflammation. thank you very severe inflammation. thank you very much to that doctor gp that insight. we will speak now to a former government minister. your response please? i think i former government minister. your response please? i thinki and probably a lot of people were hoping that he would be back in the saddle tomorrow having had symptoms for over a week, but look, they said it's not an emergency, i very much hope that he will remain in control, because i actually think that the response over the last two or three weeks has benefited enormously from the confident grip he has had on it,

his strength of character i think has been a very important ingredient in communicating so effectively to people and so i think, you know, as soon as he is back at the podium for the daily press conferences the better, so we obviously hope it is just overnight and then he will be back again and he will be firmly on the mend, fingers crossed because quite frankly he thinks he was doing a very very good job in the country needs him. 19 not be better for borisjohnson personally if he could look after his health just a few days if that's what it takes and allow dominic raab to run the government of that would help boris johnsonjust to get government of that would help boris johnson just to get better? well, i think he can do a bit of work from the privacy of his drawing room and the privacy of his drawing room and the meaning charge with other people. i think that the authority of the prime minister at the centre does help try things in a consistent

and effective way. i think, you know, a change of someone, as it were, pulling the levers is a little bit ofan were, pulling the levers is a little bit of an impediment into the smooth running of what is a complicated day—to—day operation, i think that boris has established massive authority and confidence in the way she has done this, so i think only handover we hope, then only temporarily, should it really be necessary, but from what i can see at the moment, going own overnight coming back i hope to downing street single should allow him to maintain continuity of control. sir alan duncan, thank you very much for speaking to us. just to summarise the news, the prime minister has gone to hospitalfor the news, the prime minister has gone to hospital for tests, the news, the prime minister has gone to hospitalfor tests, downing street says this is a precautionary step as the prime minister continues to have persistent symptoms of coronavirus ten days after testing positive for the virus and downing street says the prime minister

continues to be in charge of the government, and is in contact with ministerial colleagues and officials. ben mitch now has the weather. it is certainly the warmest day of the year so far. briefly it turns cooler tomorrow, but those temperatures will then rebound later in the week, and certainly today we have had this feeder very warm air wafting up from the south, brought in our direction wafting up from the south, brought in ourdirection are wafting up from the south, brought in our direction are really strong wind. it stays windy across western parts of the uk particularly through tonight, and we also see this weather front starting to stagger its way eastwards. that rain will push slowly eastwards as we go through the night, then quite sporadic, quite on and off, but there can be the odd heavy burst,

not really getting into eastern scotla nd not really getting into eastern scotland or eastern england until very late in the night. ten for children wise though, very mild indeed. this fund will keep moving across eastern parts of england tomorrow, the rain will reach across some parts of the south—east and east anglia but will then clear the way to leave brighter skies and sunshine. a scattering of showers particularly in northern ireland and scotla nd particularly in northern ireland and scotland were some could be heavy and thundery. the wind is gradually easing just a touch and then the 12 to 18 celsius quite respectable for this time of year. as we move into tuesday we see this area of high pressure really building in, right wing towards the end of the high particularly down into the south and east so that —— light winds towards peace end of the high. signs of those temperatures just starting to

creep upwards once again. now as we move out of tuesday into wednesday we are trapped in a bit of a battle between the high pressurejust we are trapped in a bit of a battle between the high pressure just to the east and these frontal systems and areas of low pressure trying to squeeze in from the west in the battle between those two will again force warm airup battle between those two will again force warm air up from the south across just about all parts of the uk. further south 23 degrees looks likely. there is a greater chance that we will see some rain by friday.

this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. the prime minister boris johnson has been admitted to hospital for tests, ten days after testing positive for coronavirus. mrjohnson was last seen in public clapping for nhs staff on thursday. downing street has described it as a ‘precautionary step' on the advice of the pm's doctor. the queen has made a rare television address to britain and the commonwealth, stressing the value of self—discipline and resolve. i hope, in the years to come, everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge. and those who come after us will say the britons of this generation