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Labour shadow cabinet member Tony Lloyd has been released from intensive care after being treated for coronavirus.

Mr Lloyd, who Keir Starmer named Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary in March, said he was “on the mend”

He was admitted to Manchester Royal Infirmary on April 6, the day after Boris Johnson.

But 17 days on, a Rochdale councillor tweeted a message from the 70-year-old MP, thanking people for their support and saying the disease had left him “gasping for air.”

Mr Lloyd said: “Thank you all for the many messages of support.

“I have now been moved out of ICU. It certainly is a tough condition and it has no doubt left me literally gasping for air.

“But I am happy to say that I am, and continue to be, on the mend.”

(Image: Sean Hansford Manchester Evening)

Responding to the message, Diane Abbott said: "Please pass on to Tony my best wishes and how pleased I am that he has come out of ICU."

David Lammy wrote: "This is great news. Get well soon Tony."

And Brent Central MP Dawn Butler said: "Really good news. So happy to hear that, see you soon Tony."

When he was admitted, Mr Lloyd’s family released a statement thanking the “brilliant doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff at the hospital".

Sheffield MP Louise Haigh has been serving as interim Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary while Mr Lloyd has been recovering from Covid-19.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock last night confirmed £41 million of additional investment this week for vaccine research taking place at Oxford University and Imperial College London, with Oxford given the green light to start human trials on Thursday.

But Professor Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, poured cold water on hopes that an impending vaccine could be the way out of the UK Covid-19 lockdown.

He told reporters at the daily Downing Street press briefing that some social distancing measures would need to stay in place until there was a vaccine or drug which reduced the severity of Covid-19.

"Until we have those, and the probability of having those any time in the next calendar year are incredibly small and I think we should be realistic about that, we're going to have to rely on other social measures, which of course are very socially disruptive as everyone is finding at the moment," he said.