• Breaking news - all news about the coronavirus
  • United Kingdom Boris Johnson announces the birth of his son with Carrie Symonds

Boris Johnson decided to give up paternity leave after the birth of his son , just three days after his return to Downing Street after three weeks of convalescence from the coronavirus. The news of the sudden birth of the sixth scion of the 'premier' came hours before the United Kingdom overtook Spain by confirming 26,097 deaths from the epidemic , after adding the deaths in residences to the official list.

Johnson, 55, wanted to attend the birth of his girlfriend Carrie Symonds (32) at a London hospital. The "premier" missed his weekly appointment in Parliament but decided to return to work within a few hours, to settle the controversy of his long absences before and during the critical moments of the epidemic. A Downing Street spokesperson confirmed that he will take his two weeks of paternity leave "later".

The new leader of the Labor opposition, Keir Starmer, with whom he has not yet been able to measure face to face, harshly criticized Johnson for the "truly terrible" figures of the epidemic . "The government said in March that 20,000 deaths would be a good result," Starmer warned. "We are clearly above that figure and we are still halfway through the crisis. We are possibly on track to have one of the worst mortality levels in all of Europe."

"It is too early to make international comparisons," replied Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who had to again cover Boris Johnson's absence. However, Raab himself reported hours after the UK jumped to second place in Europe, after Italy , by incorporating deaths in nursing homes with hospital deaths.

Italy, with 27,682 deaths, remains the country most affected by the epidemic , now followed by the United Kingdom with 26,097 (601 hospital deaths in the last 24 hours). Behind are Spain with 24,275 deaths and France, with 23,660. Even so, the country with the highest mortality per million inhabitants in Europe is Belgium (7,501).

Dominic Raab himself stressed that the figures will have to drop before the United Kingdom can loosen the "bolt-action" enacted on March 23. In his sudden and so far only appearance after his return to Downing Street, Boris Johnson asked the British on Monday to "contain impatience" and keep the curentena .

Inside and outside the government, Johnson is under increasing pressure to ease drastic measures of "social distance" before May 7 and allow for a return of economic activity. Former 'premier' Theresa May was unexpectedly one of the most critical voices this week, warning Johnson that "the cure may be worse than the disease . "

Change of plans

In any case, it was expected that the 'premier' would advance his plans for the release of the quarantine this week. However, personal circumstances have forced him to change his plans, amid growing concern over the "distractions" that are interfering with his work as prime minister since he won in the December elections.

At Christmas, Johnson secluded himself with Carrie Symonds in a very private villa on the Caribbean island of Mustique, where he spent almost two weeks, oblivious to the international crisis unleashed by Donald Trump with the attack that killed the General of the Revolutionary Guard. Iranian Qasem Soleimani. In February, in the run-up to the coronavirus epidemic and floods in northern England, Johnson disappeared from public view for more than ten days , confined to the Foreign Office residence in Chevening alongside Carrie Symonds.

In the same period, the 'premier' missed five Cobra emergency cabinet meetings on the epidemic. The announcement of her paternity and her commitment to Carrie Symonds came just a few days before their appearance at Twickenham and at the Six Nations tournament on March 7, when several European countries had already closed the doors to the public in their stadiums. .

On March 26, three days after ordering the "bolt", Johnson himself tested positive for the coronavirus. After isolating himself for ten days at 11 Downing Street, he had to be urgently transferred to St. Thomas Hospital, where he remained in the ICU for three days. Carrie Symonds also contracted the virus and was isolated with the couple's dog, Dilyn. The two met again two weeks ago and completed recovery at Checkers.

Although they had announced that the baby would be born "in early summer," Symonds was allegedly transferred to the hospital on Tuesday. Downing Street suddenly confirmed the birth early Wednesday. "Both mother and baby are fine," read the brief statement. "Prime Minister like Carrie Symonds want to thank the great maternity service of our public health."

Boris Johnson separated more than a year and a half ago from his second wife and mother to their four children, attorney Marina Wheeler . The divorce was consummated just three months ago. Johnson was married as a young man to his first love at Oxford University, Allegra Mostn-Owen . The 'premier', with an intense love life and a long list of extramarital affairs, is also credited with a daughter by art expert Helen Macintyre.

Johnson received warm congratulations from the entire political class, starting with the leader of the Labor opposition, who celebrated the "wonderful news." Ireland's chief minister, Unionist Arlene Foster, uncharacteristically demarcated her celebratory tone with a cautious warning to the prime minister: "Sleepless nights are coming."

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Boris Johnson
  • United Kingdom
  • Europe
  • Theresa May
  • Coronavirus
  • Covid 19

Coronavirus Deaths soar in UK, which could be Europe's worst hit by pandemic

United KingdomBoris Johnson asks the British for patience: "It is too early to lift the bolt"

Coronavirus: upset by UK power vacuum