Coronavirus fears as Paddington station cordoned off after two people taken ill

PADDINGTON Station was partially cordoned off last night after two people were taken ill, sparking fears coronavirus has hit the capital.

Photos showed a woman sitting alone on a row of seats at the station, surrounded by masked rail workers standing away from her.

The staff looked to be keeping a safe distance from the passenger, who fell ill around midnight.

It has sparked fears the killer bug may have hit London at a major transport hub - hours after the first confirmed cases in the UK were announced.

Emergency services refused to comment on fears the woman was being treated as a suspected coronavirus patient, but said two people were taken to hospital.

The station is open and trains are running as normal today, despite the late night panic.

It comes as...

• UK's first coronavirus victims remain in quarantine in Newcastle
• Rescue flight with 83 Brits landed at RAF Brize Norton from Wuhan this afternoon
• Evacuees will be quarantined for two weeks in a Wirral hospital unit
• The global death toll has reached 259 with nearly 12,000 cases - surpassing SARS infection in China
• The World Health Organisation has declared the outbreak a global health emergency on an unprecedented scale
• The Foreign Office warned against "all but essential travel" to the country because of the virus outbreak
• British Airways suspended all flights to and from mainland China

Geraint Wilcox tweeted: "Half of station closed at Paddington - lone Chinese lady unwell and everyone in panic mode.

"Ambulance at scene #coronarvirus #coronaviruslondon #Paddington #london."

While Mack Grenfell wrote: "London Paddington station being cordoned off due to a suspected #coronavirus case; what looks like a solo Asian traveller."

And another user said: "This thing is serious. They literally cordoned off a Chinese woman at Paddington station."

CONTAGION FEARS

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson told the Sun Online: “We responded to a call at Paddington Station at 10.52pm on 31 January.

“We sent two ambulances to the scene and took two people to hospital.”

Public Health England would not comment on the emergency response, or if the pair were undergoing tests for coronavirus.

Health officials say they "are working rapidly to identify any contacts the two positive patients had, to prevent further spread" - amid frantic efforts to stop it spiralling out of control.

Official advice urges anyone who has come into close contact with coronavirus sufferers to "self-isolate" to prevent the infection spreading.

Professor Sharon Peacock, director of the National Infection Service at PHE, said: "What they'll be doing is aiming to contact everybody who has been in contact with these two cases and prevent onward transmission."

It confirms fears the government acted too late to prevent the crisis hitting Britain, only putting in travel restrictions several days after the outbreak worsened in China.

Official figures released this afternoon showed a total of 203 UK tests have concluded, of which 2 were found to be positive.

Meanwhile, a convoy of coaches carrying 83 Brits rescued from coronavirus-hit China last night arrived at the hospital where they will be quarantined for two weeks. 

The evacuees landed from the ground zero epicentre of Wuhan this afternoon to be treated at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral, Merseyside.

And two students from Bristol and London were bundled out of accommodation on Thursday with suited-up paramedics after showing suspected symptoms.

A frantic hunt is underway to track down anyone who came into contact with Britain's first victims of the deadly virus at the Staycity Hotel in the centre of York.

The pair, believed to be two Chinese tourists, were dramatically evacuated by hazmat medics from the £70-a-night York hotel two days ago.

Despite this, the 220-bedroom hotel has continued to take bookings, sparking grave fears more could be infected or come into contact with workers exposed to the deadly bug.

Officials admitted they have "no idea" how many people have been in contact with the victims.