LONDON: Queen Elizabeth II delivered only her fourth emergency address in a 68-year reign to urge Britain and Commonwealth nations to “remain united and resolute”.
“I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge,” she said on Sunday, in a four-minute speech recorded earlier this week at Windsor Castle.
“And those who come after us will say that the Britons of this generation were as strong as any. That the attributes of self-discipline, of quiet good-humoured resolve and of fellow-feeling still characterise this country,” she said.
The Queen, who has been based at Windsor Castle with her 98-year-old husband Prince Philip since last month, called on the British public to draw on their inherent traits as she exhorted them to carry on following the official government guidance to stay at home to protect the vulnerable and curb the rapid spread of the deadly virus.
The Queen concluded her address by again calling for unity saying, “we will succeed”. Her “deeply personal” words were said to be chosen to echo those of her father, King George VI, during World War II, aimed at bringing the country together in a time of crisis.
UK PM Johnson
‘doing well’ in hospital
The UK government on Monday said Prime Minister Boris Johnson is “doing well” after staying overnight in hospital for some “routine tests” related to his COVID-19 diagnosis.
UK housing and communities secretary Robert Jenrick said Johnson remains in charge of the UK’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and is expected back at No.10 Downing Street soon.
“This wasn’t an emergency admission. It was a planned admission to undergo some routine tests. He is doing well, I am told, and we look forward to him being back at No. 10 soon,” the Cabinet minister told the BBC on Monday morning.
The update on the 55-year-old prime minister’s health came following his admission to a National Health Service (NHS) hospital in London on Sunday evening for tests after he showed “persistent symptoms of coronavirus”, including a temperature, even 10 days after testing positive for the disease. His hospitalisation was described as a “precautionary step” taken on the advice of his doctor, a Downing Street spokesperson said on Sunday.
“This is a precautionary step, as the Prime Minister continues to have persistent symptoms of coronavirus ten days after testing positive for the virus,” the spokesperson said.
“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 spokesperson said. (PTI)
