UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson Hospitalized; Queen Issues Address To Nation: ‘Better Days Will Return’

The New York Times: Boris Johnson Hospitalized As Queen Urges British Resolve In Face Of Epidemic
Prime Minister Boris Johnson was hospitalized on Sunday evening after 10 days of battling the coronavirus, unnerving a country that had gathered to watch Queen Elizabeth II rally fellow Britons to confront the pandemic and reassure them that when the crisis finally ebbed, “we will meet again. ”The British government said that Mr. Johnson would be undergoing tests and that he would continue to carry out his duties. But the uncertainty generated by his persistent illness underscored the sense of crisis that led the queen to address the country in a rare televised speech that evoked the darkest days of World War II. (Landler, 4/5)

The Associated Press: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson Hospitalized With Virus
In a message Friday, a flushed and red-eyed Johnson said he said he was feeling better but still had a fever. The virus causes mild to moderate symptoms in most people, but for some, especially older adults and the infirm, it can cause pneumonia and lead to death. U.S. President Donald Trump offered encouragement to Johnson as he opened a White House briefing on the pandemic Sunday. "All Americans are praying for him," Trump said. (Lawless, 4/6)

Reuters: British PM Johnson Still In Hospital With Persistent Coronavirus Symptoms
The prime minister is doing well and will undergo routine tests on Monday but will continue to lead the government, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said. “He’ll stay in hospital as long as he needs to do that, but I’ve heard that he’s doing well and I very much look forward to him being back in Number 10 as soon as possible,” Jenrick said. (Faulconbridge, James and Piper, 4/6)

The Washington Post: Britain's Queen Elizabeth Addresses Coronavirus; Boris Johnson To Hospital
The news of his hospitalization broke an hour after the queen broadcast her prerecorded message to the United Kingdom and Commonwealth — only the fifth such speech in her 68-year reign. “We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return,” she said. “We will be with our friends again, we will be with our families again, we will meet again.” (Booth, 4/5)

The Wall Street Journal: U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson Hospitalized For Coronavirus Tests
The monarch, in a prerecorded address from Windsor Castle, thanked health care workers and focused on the difficulties of being isolated from loved ones. She cited a radio address she made as Princess Elizabeth, along with her sister, Princess Margaret, 80 years ago, as children were being evacuated from cities to avoid bombing attacks. “We, as children, spoke from here at Windsor to children who had been evacuated from their homes and sent away for their own safety. Today, once again, many will feel a painful sense of separation from their loved ones. But now, as then, we know, deep down, that it is the right thing to do,” she said. (Fidler, 4/5)

Politico: British Health Secretary: Follow Coronavirus Rules Or We’ll Ban Outdoor Exercise
U.K. Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned that the government will ban people from leaving their homes to exercise if too many people flout social distancing rules. "If you don't want us to have to take the step to ban exercise of all forms outside of your own home, then you've got to follow the rules," he told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show on Sunday. (Wax, 4/5)