Las Vegas police rushed to the scene to secure a local hospital and the roads leading to it on the day Joe Biden was diagnosed with COVID-19.
Conspiracy theorists claimed the president was sicker than the White House was revealing. And local media reported that law enforcement and medical teams were gathering at Valley Hospital to prepare for Biden’s arrival.
President Biden did not seek medical treatment at the hospital, but instead went to the airport and flew out of Las Vegas on Air Force One to self-isolate at his beachfront home in Rehoboth, Delaware.
But police footage from July 17, obtained by DailyMail.com, shows the hospital was prepared to receive the president, as police noted: “POTUS is 421,” which is police code for a sick or injured person.
“To everyone on the radio. Right now POTUS is 421. He’s been seen, so we’re just waiting to see how this plays out,” the dispatcher said. “He’s 421 right now. We’re just trying to figure out what’s going on and then we’ll go from there.”
President Joe Biden at Lindo Michocan shortly before testing positive for COVID
The recording shows the frantic phone call, with everyone on their feet after police learned of Biden’s diagnosis.
A police officer says on the recording that he wants “all available units to come to Valley Hospital.”
“I have four units,” is one answer.
“That’s not enough,” the operator replies.
Additional officers were asked to assemble in the parking lot of the Valley Hospital ER.
“We’re going to gather behind the ER entrances, where the ambulances are driving. There’s a small dead end street there,” is the order that is given.
Biden was at Lindo Michoacan, a famous Mexican restaurant in downtown Vegas, greeting guests and then giving a radio interview.
But then he stayed another 90 minutes. His next event – speaking at UnidosUS – was canceled.
From about 1:40 p.m. PT — when Biden ended his radio interview — until shortly after 3 p.m. — when the motorcade left, it was unclear why the president remained in the restaurant.
Mason Van Houweling, CEO of the hospital, said local media At around 2:15 p.m., they were alerted to a possible medical problem with the president.
“We didn’t have the details yet, but we were ready and able to respond to the president’s needs,” Van Houweling said.
He said the hospital team was working with local and national law enforcement to secure the area and also protect patients in the building, along with the president, in case he was taken to the medical center.
“We were ready,” Van Houweling said. “We knew we were dealing with a medical issue — trauma was definitely ruled out, accidents were ruled out.”
He said the hospital was in contact with Biden’s security team and only stopped after Air Force One had left with the president on board.
“There was no medical emergency,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during her Monday press briefing, noting that the president had simply tested positive for COVID.
“People are still testing positive for COVID,” she said.
President Joe Biden boards Air Force One in Las Vegas after testing positive for COVID
A US Secret Service agent opens the hatch of the presidential limousine The Beast in Las Vegas
While Biden was being held in the restaurant, local police prepared to move him.
The procedure for moving a president involves closing roads so that police can move the procession without obstruction.
While Biden was in the restaurant, police received a call to deploy all available units downtown.
“Right now,” the operator said, “we’re going to shut everything down.”
The dispatcher also noted, “The Secret Service is requesting a Code 3 response,” which is the police code that indicates officers should respond to a report with lights and sirens.
From there, information was sent via radio where the units should go and which streets should be closed.
“The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department was notified that President Joe Biden was ill on July 17, while he was visiting Las Vegas,” police said afterward.
“We did not know the nature of his illness. As a precaution, LVMPD proactively began closing roads leading to UMC Hospital. The Secret Service then advised LVMPD that the President was going directly to Harry Reid International Airport and would be leaving Las Vegas.”
The White House did not publicly announce Biden’s condition until minutes before the motorcade left the restaurant.
“President Biden has tested positive for COVID-19. He will return to Delaware, where he will self-isolate and continue to fully discharge all of his duties during that time,” Jean-Pierre said in a statement at the time.
President Joe Biden in the presidential limousine The Beast
President Biden arrives at Dover Air Force Base after reportedly isolating at his Rehoboth home
Biden eventually went to the airport for the flight back to the East Coast, recovered at his beach house, and announced there that he was stepping down as the Democratic nominee.
In Las Vegas, police were happy to have brought the president home safely.
“Great job there,” the dispatcher said as Air Force One pulled away. “We put that together ad hoc. We appreciate all the resources that came out here. You guys did a fantastic job. It was like we planned it for weeks.”