The Duke of Cambridge has joked about spreading coronavirus while on a tour of Ireland. Prince William spoke to a paramedic about the virus on the first leg of an Irish tour with the Duchess, the Daily Star reports . And the Royal questioned whether he thought coverage of the illness was "being a little hyped up." His comments come at a time when the couple, who are on a three-day visit to Ireland, are taking advice on the coronavirus threat. But they will continue meeting people as usual, and William chatted to emergency workers at a reception hosted by Britain's Ambassador to Ireland, Robin Barnett in the Gravity Bar at Dublin's Guinness Storehouse. He asked Joe Mooney, an advance paramedic with the National Ambulance Service: "I bet everyone's like, 'I've got coronavirus, I'm dying', and you're like 'no, you've just got a cough'. "Does it seem quite dramatic about coronavirus at the moment? "Is it being a little bit hyped up do you think in the media?" He went on to grimace with mock horror as he said: "By the way, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are spreading coronavirus, Sorry. "We're keeping an eye on that, so do tell us if we need to stop." It is unclear whether the Queen is following an official protocol regarding the virus, but she was seen wearing gloves to present honours during an investiture ceremony. Buckingham Palace declined to confirm whether the monarch was taking the precaution because of the outbreak. William and Kate are known to be following guidance from Public Health England and the Department of Health and that meant "business as usual" for now, according to a royal source last night. The source added: "This is a discussion we have been having and everything we are doing should continue as usual." The Duke and Duchess's outing came after a day of formal engagements to launch their first official visit to Ireland, nearly a decade after the Queen became the first British monarch to visit the country since it gained independence. During the reception, William and Kate were met groups of film, TV and sports stars, guests from sustainability and environment, creative and cultural Ireland, education and research, the charity sector and uniformed services. Prince William cracks coronavirus joke and says coverage is 'a little hyped up' Coronavirus,Kate Middleton,Prince William,The Queen,Royal Family
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