BRITISH Prime Minister Boris Johnson was taken to the hospital after failing to shake off coronavirus symptoms, as Queen Elizabeth II said a united effort would defeat the outbreak.

The government announced within an hour of the monarch’s rare special address Sunday to the country and Commonwealth nations that Johnson had been admitted for further tests as a precaution.

Johnson, 55, had been due to re-emerge from seven days of self-isolation Friday, a week after announcing he had tested positive for COVID-19 and had mild symptoms.

But he said in a video message Friday that he would continue to stay at home because of a persistent high temperature.

Downing Street called it a “precautionary step” and it is understood his admission was not an emergency and he was taken to hospital on medical advice.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab is designated to take over if the prime minister is unable to perform his duties but government sources said Johnson was still in charge.

Johnson is the most high-profile world leader to contract the virus. His pregnant partner, Carrie Symonds, is also recovering from symptoms but has not been tested.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock returned to work Friday after a week at home following his positive test for COVID-19. The chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, has also displayed symptoms.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he was “hopeful and sure” Johnson would recover, calling the prime minister “a friend of mine” and a “great leader.”

The Downing Street announcement came as the 93-year-old queen offered a message of hope to everyone affected by the global pandemic, which has seen more than 1.2 million cases and more than 68,000 deaths.

Britain currently has 47,806 confirmed hospital cases and 4,934 deaths. The monarch’s eldest son, heir to the throne Prince Charles, has tested positive after displaying mild symptoms.

In only her fourth address at a time of crisis in her 68-year reign, the queen said the outbreak could be defeated by a collective effort in a “common endeavor.”

“We will succeed — and that success will belong to every one of us,” she said in a speech recorded at Windsor Castle, west of London, where she moved as a precaution March 19.

Thanking health-care staff and key workers, and praising the community response to the outbreak, the queen said people in Britain and around the world could feel proud.

“Together we are tackling this disease, and I want to reassure you that if we remain united and resolute, then we will overcome it,” she added. 

(SD-Agencies)