Doctors say George Michael is improving

VIENNA (CBS/AP) Doctors treating George Michael say the ex-front man for the pop group "Wham!" is making progress as he recovers from pneumonia.

In a statement issued Wednesday, Dr. Gottfried Locker and Dr. Christoph Zielinski say the 48-year-old musician remains hospitalized and "needed intensive care because of the seriousness and spread of the infection."

They said "absolute rest and restraint" are top priorities for Michael and pointed out that the singer "is receiving exactly the same treatment as any normal patient in Austria would for this ailment." This appears to be an indirect denial of rumors that Michael could be suffering from even more serious problems.

According to the British newspaper, The Telegraph, the singer's 75-year-old father, Kyriacos Panayiotou, and sisters Melanie, 49 and Yioda, 53, were at his bedside.

Michael was admitted to Vienna's AKH hospital last week after canceling a performance in the Austrian capital. His hospitalization has forced him to cancel the rest of his European tour, which had taken him to 35 cities since August.