U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson Discharged From Hospital Following Coronavirus Diagnosis

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been discharged from St. Thomas’ Hospital in London one week after he was admitted with “worsening” symptoms of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

“The PM has been discharged from hospital to continue his recovery, at Chequers,” a Downing Street spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday.

“On the advice of his medical team, the PM will not be immediately returning to work. He wishes to thank everybody at St Thomas’ for the brilliant care he has received. All of his thoughts are with those affected by this illness,” the statement continued.

The British leader, 55, was first hospitalized on April 5, 10 days after he revealed that he had tested positive for COVID-19.

In a video message shared on his official Twitter account, Johnson also thanked NHS staff for saving his life.

“I have today left hospital after a week in which the NHS has saved my life, no question. It’s hard to find words to express my debut but before I come to that I want to thank everyone in the entire UK for the effort and the sacrifice you have made and are making,” he said, before extending a special mention to two nurses. “The reason in the end my body did start to get enough oxygen was because for every second of the night they were watching and they were thinking and they were caring and making the interventions I needed.”

It is hard to find the words to express my debt to the NHS for saving my life.

The efforts of millions of people across this country to stay home are worth it. Together we will overcome this challenge, as we have overcome so many challenges in the past. #StayHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/HK7Ch8BMB5

— Boris Johnson #StayHomeSaveLives (@BorisJohnson) April 12, 2020

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Johnson’s 32-year-old fiancée Carrie Symonds — who is pregnant with the couple’s first child and was also struggling with symptoms of COVID-19 — has expressed similar sentiments on Twitter.

“I cannot thank our magnificent NHS enough. The staff at St Thomas’ Hospital have been incredible. I will never, ever be able to repay you and I will never stop thanking you,” she wrote Sunday. “There were times last week that were very dark indeed.”

There were times last week that were very dark indeed. My heart goes out to all those in similar situations, worried sick about their loved ones.

— Carrie Symonds (@carriesymonds) April 12, 2020

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Johnson first revealed that he’d contracted the virus, which causes the respiratory disease COVID-19, on March 27 when he tweeted that he’d “developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus.”

Following nine days of self-isolation in the prime ministerial apartment above No. 11 Downing Street, he was taken to St. Thomas’ after his condition “worsened,” his office said on April 6.

Later that day, Johnson was moved into intensive care. He remained awake and was never placed on a ventilator.

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Aides had described the ICU move as precautionary, in case ventilation was needed if Johnson’s case became more severe.

On Thursday, the Prime Minister was transferred back to a regular hospital ward.

“The Prime Minister has been moved this evening from intensive care back to the ward, where he will receive close monitoring during the early phase of his recovery,” a Downing Street spokesperson said Thursday evening local time.

“He is in extremely good spirits.”

In the prime minister’s absence, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, 46, chaired the key meetings of the U.K. government, and had been given the authority to take over the helm by Johnson.

As of Sunday morning, there have been nearly 80,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the U.K. and 9,892 deaths, according to available data.

As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments. To help provide doctors and nurses on the front lines with life-saving medical resources, donate to Direct Relief here.