United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson made his first public appearance today, since being hospitalized with coronavirus three weeks ago, saying Britain was beginning to turn the tide on the outbreak but rejecting growing calls to ease a nationwide lockdown.
In a statement in Downing Street marking his return to work, looking thinner and with his trademark blond hair a little longer, Johnson apologized for being away for much longer than he would have liked.
He thanked the British people for heeding a month of stay-at-home orders, which have helped stem the spread of COVID-19, although more than 20,000 people have already died from the virus.
But while acknowledging the concerns of many businesses and the economic toll, Johnson warned that now was not the time to ease the lockdown.
