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On Monday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was moved to an intensive care unit (ICU) after the worsening of his COVID-19 symptoms. However, he was claimed to still be conscious according to Downing Street.

During a time of national emergency, the seriousness of the British Prime Minister’s condition has raised questions regarding the leadership of the country. Should the British Prime Minister become incapacitated, Britain has no formal succession plan. However, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab was asked by Johnson, aged 55, to deputize for him.

On March 26, 2020, Johnson, aged 55, was tested positive for the COVID-19. Downing Street reported in a press briefing on April 6 that on Sunday night, the British Prime Minister was admitted to the hospital and had been undergoing tests after the suffering of persistent COVID-19 symptoms, which included a high temperature, for the duration of more than 10 days.

While British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson was in good spirits and still in charge according to Downing Street, he was moved from the House of Parliament in central London to an intensive care unit – where the treatment of the most serious cases takes place – at about 1800 GMT at St Thomas’ hospital, across the River Thames.

According to a spokesman for his office, the condition of the Prime Minister had deteriorated over the course of the afternoon, and he had been moved to the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital on the strict advice of his medical team.

Furthermore, according to Downing Street, the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab – who is also the First Secretary of State, was asked by the PM, to deputize for him wherever necessary. Downing Street added that the PM remained conscious at that time. However, if the sitting Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, is incapacitated for a lengthy time period, there is no recent precedent. Furthermore, the PM shifting to the intensive care unit is a precautionary measure in case he requires ventilation to aid his recovery, according to Downing Street.

Downing Street was reported stressing over the fact that Raab, with the support of government officials, was running the country from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. According to a spokesperson, meetings – if any were needed, at the National Security Council would be chaired by Raab while he is deputizing for the Prime Minister, and the UK’s Cabinet holds authority regarding responses on military action in the PM’s absence. The spokesperson further added that while Raab and other ministerial groupings will chair the daily meetings about the decisions regarding COVID-19, Raab holds no authority regarding the hiring and firing of ministers or officials.

Caution was urged by his spokesman earlier, regarding media reports that said that Johnson was the recipient of oxygen treatment, and invasive or non-invasive ventilation was not required. However, when he was asked about whether the PM had pneumonia – which is common in more severe cases of COVID-19, the spokesman had refused to answer directly.

According to The Times newspaper and ITV correspondent Robert Peston, Johnson was indeed the recipient of oxygen. According to the New York Times, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove had reported that Johnson is the recipient of “standard oxygen treatment” and is able to breathe without assistance, and is hence, not on a ventilator.

On Monday, the government’s emergency COVID-19 meeting was chaired by Raab, aged 46.

While Johnson seems to be the most high-profile leader to contract the virus, his pregnant partner, Carrie Symonds has claimed to be sick with symptoms for the duration of a week but is now in recovery.

At least 55,242 cases of COVID-9 have been confirmed in the U.K, AS OF April 7, with an estimation of 6,159 related deaths.