The PM is believed to be staying at his country retreat with partner Carrie Symonds after being released from hospital yesterday – and is expected to remain there for the time being.
While briefly stopping off at No10 last night he recorded a heartfelt video message praising the ICU unit’s doctors — who had watched over him for three tense days and nights.
And the PM said he “will be grateful for the rest of my life” for their decisions.
Downing Street is planning for Boris to be absent for several weeks.
A No 10 source said: “He’s only just beginning his post-hospital recovery, it’s just too soon to give an indication on timing.
“He has been told he needs to rest and recover.”
Meanwhile Dominic Raab will continue to chair the daily Covid-19 meetings in his absence, and will start reviewing evidence of how the lockdown is working.
Last week he said it was “too soon” to ease the measures and warned they were likely to be extended.
Ministers have to sign off an official decision before Thursday.
Today is the three-week deadline of the coronavirus lockdown – and Boris promised a review after to this to look at the next steps.
The Times quoted an unnamed minister as saying it was important not to do “more damage”, and measures could be eased after another three weeks.
It comes as Spain and Italy are due to start easing their lockdown restrictions after the death rates began to fall.
Britain’s total dead hit 10,000 yesterday, with an extra 737 people losing their lives in the previous 24 hours.
A huge split has broken out about when the lockdown should be ended, it was reported yesterday.
Some want to begin to lift the restrictions after the first May bank holiday on Friday, May 8.
But others think that any changes should wait until after the second May bank holiday on Monday 25, and for other social distancing measures to stay in place for months to come.
Any lifting of the lockdown could see a second wave of cases hit the UK and put the NHS under pressure yet again.
Some members of the Cabinet want Boris to be involved in the decision – but others are insisting he rests and leaves the work to the rest of the Government.
One Cabinet source told The Telegraph: “The prime minister has to take that decision.
“Any lockdown will have huge implications, and the PM will be responsible for it, so he’s got to be the one taking that decision.”
Mr Raab has insisted the Cabinet has “collective” responsibility and will be able to make any decisions without the PM.
Another source said: “I don’t think the Cabinet wants to be pulling the prime minister out of his recovery and risking him getting worse.”
It comes as the Chancellor warned that the nation’s GDP could fall by as much as 30 per cent between April and June.
He is said to be incredibly concerned about the economic impact of the lockdown and want to look at ways to lift the measures as soon as it’s safe to do so.
Gavin Williamson, the Education Secretary, is also worried about the effect of children not being in school.
