London, March 22 (IANS): A Buckingham Palace royal aide has tested positive for the novel coronavirus while Queen Elizabeth II was still at the London residence, a media report said.

According to The Sun newspaper report on Saturday, the aide fell ill and tested positive for the virus earlier last week.

Every member of the Royal Household staff they came into contact with has since been placed in self-isolation, the report added.

It was not known how close the worker got personally to the Queen.

"The worker tested positive before the Queen left for Windsor. But the Palace has 500 members of staff so, like any workplace, it's not inconceivable it would be affected in some stage," The Sun newspaper quoted a source as saying

It was understood the staffer was recovering.

Regarding the development, a Palace spokesman said: "We wouldn't comment on individual members of staff. In line with the appropriate guidance and our own processes, we have taken the necessary actions to protect all employees and people involved."

The latest official figures showed the number of people across the UK who have died due to the coronavirus has increased to 233, with 53 more fatalities reported on Saturday in England, two in Wales and one in Scotland.

The number of confirmed cases stood at 5,067.