#WhereisBoris is trending on Twitter yet again as the prime minister comes under mounting criticism over his lack of leadership during the coronavirus crisis.

The PM faces a third grilling from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in the House of Commons today. But aside from his appearances at PMQs, he has barely been seen since returning to work on April 26th after his battle with Covid-19.

He has only held two of the Downing Street press briefings since then – in stark contrast to Nicola Sturgeon who has been providing updates to Scotland on a near daily basis.

The last time the PM fronted a briefing was on May 11 – a day after he addressed the nation in a widely criticised pre-recorded speech. The means the prime minister has not faced the public and journalists for questioning in 10 days, with ministers holding the briefings instead.

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Many are demanding answers about his whereabouts as concerns continue to be raised about the UK’s testing strategy, care home crisis and exit from lockdown.

Some have speculated the prime minister may still be ill after spending nights in intensive care last month. The Conservative leader was admitted to St Thomas’ Hospital in London 10 days after testing positive for coronavirus in April.

 He is also a new father, with partner Carrie Symonds having recently given birth to baby Wilfred.

However, critics say if these factors have played a part in his absence, Downing Street should be more transparent about it.

Good Morning Britain (GMB) Hosts Piers Morgan and Susana Reid are among those who have questioned why the PM has made so few public statements despite the unprecedented crisis the country faces.

Piers Morgan said yesterday: ‘The fact he is not visible and centre-stage means we are now reliant on other ministers.

‘Be honest with the public, if he’s ill or feeling rough, be honest with the public… They’ll understand.’

Some say he should not be leading the country if he is still ill, though critics argue he was an absent leader long before testing positive for Covid-19.

The PM has previously been accused of ‘sleepwalking’ into the coronavirus crisis after it was revealed he missed five emergency Cobra meetings in the run up to the UK’s outbreak.

The missed meetings happened in January and February, when parts of country also experienced the worst flooding on record.

Insiders say the meetings were skipped so Mr Johnson could prioritise the EU withdrawal agreement and reshuffling his cabinet – despite early warnings from scientists that the pandemic could be worse than the 1918 Spanish Flu, which killed 50 million people.

One source told the Sunday Times that Mr Johnson ‘liked his country breaks’ and ‘didn’t work weekends’ – though Downing Street robustly defended their strategy in response to the article.

Some say the PM’s absence should not be a surprise, pointing to his behaviour during the general election that saw him secure a landslide victory despite dodging TV debates and interviews.

He was also ridiculed for ‘hiding in a fridge’ to get out of a live interview on Good Morning Britain.

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