Boris Johnson was released from St Thomas’ Hospital in London on Sunday afternoon after a week’s stay, including three nights in intensive care, and is now going to be confined for what could be a lengthy period of rest and recovery at Chequers, the British Prime Minister’s 16th century rural retreat in Buckinghamshire.

That his life was in danger at one point was confirmed by Johnson himself, who thanked the National Health Service before he was swept out in a convoy of cars, vans and police escort: “I can’t thank them enough, I owe them my life.”

His discharge came at a particularly grim moment as the UK death toll from the coronavirus broke through the psychological 10,000 barrier. It stands at 10,612, up 737 in the last 24 hours.

Chequers is not far from The Grange, Swraj Paul’s country residence, which the peer said was “only five minutes away by car” from the 1,500-acre Chequers, which he described as a “nice country house”.

He had been there “many times”, especially when his friend Gordon Brown was Prime Minister. “The joke was I bought the place to be close to the PM and there was a tunnel connecting The Grange with Chequers. But I actually bought The Grange before Gordon became Prime Minister. I first went there when Mrs Thatcher was Prime Minister and the last time when Gordon was PM.”

As Boris was driven to Chequers, his official spokesman at 10, Downing Street, to which he will probably not be allowed to return in a hurry, released a statement: “The PM has been discharged from hospital to continue his recovery, at Chequers.

“On the advice of his medical team, the PM will not be immediately returning to work. He wishes to thank everybody at St Thomas’ for the brilliant care he has received. All of his thoughts are with those affected by this illness.”

It is NHS practice not to keep patients in hospital a minute longer than is necessary because of the pressure of space, especially in ICU. This applies as much to Johnson as to anyone else.

While Johnson was in hospital, his pregnant girlfriend, Carrie Symonds, tried to keep up his spirits by sending him scans of their baby.

“There were times last week that were very dark indeed,” she admitted. “My heart goes out to all those in similar situations, worried sick about their loved ones. Thank you also to everyone who sent such kind messages of support. Today I’m feeling incredibly lucky.”

From his farm in Exmoor, Boris’s father, Stanley Johnson, expressed relief on behalf of the family: “I am absolutely delighted to hear the news that Boris has left hospital — it is wonderful news. Of course, it is not only me who is delighted but the whole family.

“I am especially pleased that he will now be able to be with his fiancée Carrie, and if they head to Chequers I very much hope he doesn’t overdo it.”

He, too, thanked the NHS for saving his son’s life: “I realise now — I think the whole country realises — how close he came to a crisis situation and it is wonderful he has come out of that crisis. It is wonderful that the National Health Service was able to help him and I think he has also paid tribute to them.

“Our thoughts are with everybody, not only those who are fighting the battle against coronavirus, but those who are suffering from it.”

Since the Prime Minister left hospital on Easter Sunday, there were jokes not entirely in good taste from some Tory MPs that “Boris has risen”.