Police wearing facemasks and paramedics in hazmat suits swoop on unwell man outside Buckingham Palace and rush him to hospital in ‘coronavirus’ scare
- Emergency service workers in protective clothing spotted outside the residence
- Paramedics responded on the scene and the man was later taken to hospital
- Witnesses said it was a ‘scary’ as they thought it was ‘coronavirus related’
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Police wearing facemasks and paramedics in hazmat suits scrambled outside Buckingham Palace this afternoon in a coronavirus scare after an unwell man was spotted outside the royal residence.
Emergency service personnel in protective clothing were spotted yards from the central London property as the Queen returned after spending the weekend at Windsor Castle.
The monarch returned this afternoon and the Royal Standard is flying above the head of state’s official London residence.
Tensions remain high across the capital as London has 407 of the 1,543 confirmed coronavirus cases and six of the 36 deaths.
A police van was seen parked outside, one man was wearing a white hazmat suit and mask while several officers also attended wearing face masks and protective gloves.
Three police officers were seen detaining the man outside of Buckingham Palace earlier this afternoon
A man in a hazmat suit stands by as officers chat to the man outside Buckingham Palace today
One onlooker said they had been walking up towards Buckingham Palace and police were already in the area.
‘Then I saw the paramedics. My first fear was it was a case of coronavirus because of what they were wearing.
‘Some of the officers had masks on and the ambulance workers had full white suits on.
‘It was pretty scary to see.’
It happened just after midday this afternoon.
A police van was seen parked outside the royal residence this afternoon as police responded to the alert
Later on in the afternoon people were spotted walking past the palace wearing facemasks, they were unrelated to the event earlier in the day
A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: ‘We were called at 12:07pm today, March 16 to reports of an incident on Buckingham Gate, Westminster.
‘We sent an incident response officer, an ambulance crew and a medic in a car to the scene.
‘We treated a person and took them to hospital.’
A source said: ‘It is too early to say if this is coronavirus related.’
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: ‘Officers on patrol came across an unwell man on Spur Road at the junction with Birdcage Walk in Westminster at 12.05pm on Monday, March 16.
‘Officers called London Ambulance Service who attended and provided treatment.
‘He was subsequently sectioned under 136 of the mental health act and taken to hospital.
‘An update on his condition awaits.’