The United Kingdom's Prime Minister Boris Johnson left intensive care on Thursday evening as he continues to recover from coronavirus, but he remains under close observation in hospital, his office said on Thursday. The UK prime minister is still in hospital after needing intensive care treatment for COVID-19.

Johnson, 55, was admitted to St Thomas' Hospital on Sunday evening with a persistent high temperature and cough, and was rushed to intensive care on Monday where he spent three nights receiving treatment.

"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 spokesman from his office said in an emailed statement.

"He is in extremely good spirits."

Johnson was the first world leader to be hospitalised with coronavirus, forcing him to hand control of the world's fifth-largest economy to Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, just as the UK's outbreak approaches what experts expect will be its most deadly peak.

Raab told a news conference it was too early to end the nation's lockdown because Britain had not yet reached the peak of the outbreak.

The UK death toll in hospitals from coronavirus now stands at 7,978. Thursday saw a rise of 881 in a single day - but a smaller daily increase than the 938 seen in Wednesday's figures.

Raab tweeted that the improvement in Johnson's condition was "the news we all wanted to hear". United States President Donald Trump described it as "great news".

Johnson's ongoing recovery also prompted a small rise in the value of sterling against the US dollar.