Former defence minister Tobias Ellwood has suggested that Prime Minister Boris Johnson is still able to sign off big decisions from his intensive care bed.

The 55-year-old, who is battling coronavirus, was admitted to St Thomas' Hospital in central London on Sunday as a precautionary measure but was upgraded to intensive care on Monday after his condition worsened.

Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has since been acting on behalf of the PM, who has been steadily improving over the last few days and was "sitting up in bed and engaging" by yesterday.

"The prime minister is mentally able to make decisions," Ellwood told Sky News. "He's accessible as well.

"What we're going through is unorthodox, we've not been here before, but I have been given assurances that the decision-making process can work in this difficult scenario."

A Downing Street spokesman later said that the PM had had "a good night and continues to improve".