TEXT-UK Foreign Secretary Raab statement after PM Johnson's condition worsens

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was moved to intensive care on Monday after his COVID-19 symptoms worsened and he has asked his Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to deputise. Here is the transcript of a televised interview with Raab:

Question: What can you tell us about the Prime Minister's condition tonight? Raab: "Well, since Sunday the prime minister has been under the medical care of the team at St Thomas' hospital after he was admitted with persistent coronavirus symptoms.

"During the course of this afternoon, the prime minister's condition worsened, and on the advice of the medical team he was moved to a critical care unit. "So in light of those circumstances, the prime minister asked me as first secretary to deputise for him where necessary in driving forward the government's plans to defeat coronavirus.

"And, as you'll know he's been receiving excellent care at St Thomas' hospital, and we'd like to take this opportunity as a government to thank NHS (National Health Service) staff up and down the country for all of their dedication, hard work and commitment in treating everyone who's been affected by this awful virus." Question: But with the prime minister now in intensive care this is obviously an extremely serious situation. How worried should people be about his health and about who's in charge of the government?

Raab: "Well the government's business will continue and the prime minister is in safe hands with that brilliant team at St Thomas' hospital, and the focus of the government will continue to be on making sure that the prime minister's direction, all the plans for making sure that we can defeat coronavirus and can pull the country through this challenge will be taken forward." Question: Are you confident that the government is under control tonight?

Raab: "There's an incredibly strong team spirit behind the prime minister, and making sure that we get all of the plans that the prime minister's instructed us to deliver, to get them implemented as soon as possible. And that's the way we will bring the whole country through the coronavirus challenge that we face right now."

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