BORIS Johnson must "take his hands off the reins" and take time to fully recover from coronavirus, Ruth Davidson has said, as she called the Prime Minister's move to intensive care "sobering". 

The former Scottish Conservative leader said Mr Johnson needed to "take that extra day, two days, three days, whatever it is" and clear his system. 

Ms Davidson said her sister is a doctor working on a Covid-19 ward and she knew how hard NHS staff are working to battle the coronavirus pandemic.

READ MORE: Coronavirus: Boris Johnson in intensive care as condition worsens

It comes amid reports Mr Johnson had initially continued working in hospital, asking for his "red box" of official papers.

The 55-year-old was admitted to the intensive care unit at St Thomas’s Hospital in Westminster around 7pm last night. 

The move was said to have been made as a precaution should he need a ventilator to help with his breathing.

Ms Davidson addressed the shocking development on Good Morning Britain with Lorraine Kelly.

She said: "I don't think you have to be a Tory to want the Prime Minister to pull through and take the reins again."

She added: "This idea that someone who is as big a figure as the Prime Minister, and also has the most powerful job in the land, can be effected in this way and as seriously as he has been, it's really sobering.

READ MORE: Coronavirus LIVE: Boris Johnson receives intensive care while Scottish cases surge to nearly 4000

"This isn't a respecter of rank or status or anything else. Everyone can get coronavirus, everyone can be effected by it, so everyone has to play their part and take the precautions that they can and listen to the advice and the rules that are in place."

Ms Davidson, who stood down as Scottish Conservative leader last year, insisted Mr Johnson needed time to recover. 

The Edinburgh Central MSP said: "Somebody, somewhere needs to put him in a corner and say, 'Get through this bit now. Get properly well. Take that extra day, two days, three days, whatever it is. Clear your system – you've got good people that are working exceptionally hard already.'

"I saw somebody on Twitter saying that Matt Hancock, who's a friend of mine, looks haunted like the Rentaghost house. 

"It's just the sheer weight of the work that he's putting in right now.

"There are people doing this at every level in government, there's people at every level in the NHS who are going above and beyond. 

"My sister's a doctor, she's on a Covid ward – I know how hard they're working.

"So he needs to be able to take his hands off the reins, get himself well so he can come back and serve us all."

She continued: "I hope he pulls through, and it would be good to see him back at the wheel when he's ready and when he's fully fit."