A police officer stands in front of barriers erected outside St. Thomas' Hospital in London on Monday. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was in the hospital on Monday undergoing tests after suffering "persistent" symptoms of coronavirus for 10 days. Photo: AFP

Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday made his first public appearance 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 I 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.

Their efforts had ensured the state-run National Health Service was not overwhelmed, "and that is how and why we are now beginning to turn the tide," the 55-year-old said.

Johnson pledged on March 19 that Britain could "turn the tide on coronavirus within 12 weeks" but only if people heeded advice to avoid social contact.

But he warned that now was not the time to ease the lockdown.

Johnson became the most high-profile world leader to contract COVID-19 one month ago. He spent a week in hospital, including three nights in intensive care.

He returned to his Downing Street residence on Sunday night, after two weeks spent recovering at his countryside retreat of Chequers, and was due to chair the daily government coronavirus meeting on Monday.

In his absence, the government has faced increasing criticism over its response to the pandemic, as the death toll in Britain climbed to among the highest in the world.

AFP