LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson returned to work on Monday after recovering from coronavirus.

A week after being admitted to a London hospital and spending three days in intensive care unit for worsening coronavirus symptoms, the British premier was discharged on April 12 and continued to recuperate at home.

In his first public statement since returning to work, Johnson underlined the need not to let up on the social distancing measures that he said are bringing the coronavirus under control. Lifting the lockdown now would risk a "second spike" of infections that would do even more damage, he said outside 10 Downing Street.

Johnson appeared upbeat in his address, offering a message of hope to a country which has endured at least 20,000 deaths from the virus and where the government has faced heavy criticism for its early response.

"If this virus were a physical assailant, an unexpected and invisible mugger, which I can tell you from personal experience it is, then this is the moment when we are beginning to wrestle it to the floor," Johnson said.

Conservative lawmakers and donors have been piling pressure on the government including the prime minister to ease some measures to avoid a complete economic collapse.

But the risk of a "second spike" would mean a "new wave of deaths" and an "economic disaster", he said.

Johnson said he would lay out plans to move to the next phase of the lockdown in the "coming days", but warned people not to expect an exact date.

"We simply cannot spell out now how fast or slow or even when those changes will be made," he emphasized.

"These decisions will be taken with the maximum transparency.

"We will be relying as ever on science.

"Across party lines, bringing in opposition parties as far as we possibly can." — Agencies