Five new cases of coronovirus confirmed in Ireland

THE number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland has risen to 18, it has been confirmed.

At a media briefing this Friday evening, The National Public Health Emergency Team, said an additional five cases were identified earlier in the day.

One of the new cases, relates to a female in the west of Ireland and is associated with close contact with a confirmed case.

Another case relates to a female healthcare worker in the south of the country and is also associated with close contact with a confirmed case.

Two of the new cases are associated with travel to northern Italy.

One the cases relates to a male in the east of the country while the second relates to a female in the south of the country.

The fifth case of Covid-19 confirmed this Friday relates to a male in the south of the country and is again associated with travel but not to an affected region.

The HSE says it is working rapidly to identify any contacts any of the five patients may have had, to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread.

Dr Tony Holohan, chief medical officer with the Department of Health, is appealing for organisations and groups not to panic and to heed the advice.

“We ask that no organisation, school or health service provider acts unilaterally. We need to respond to the threat of COVID-19 in unison, following the advice of public health.”

Liam Woods, HSE director of acute operations, said: “Healthcare workers are at the frontline of this virus outbreak. The Department of Health and the HSE are equally dedicated to protecting and supporting this vital group of people.”

Dr Ronan Glynn, deputy chief medical officer at the Department of Health, said: “The past number of weeks have been challenging for everyone in our healthcare system. This challenge is going escalate as the number of cases here rise. We must prioritise the protection of our frontline healthcare staff and as part of this the National Public Health Emergency Team has established a sub-group to identify and implement appropriate measures to protect them.”

Any person who has travelled from an affected region in the last 14 days, or who has come in contact with a confirmed case in the last 14 days, and is concerned that they may have symptoms of Covid-19  should immediately isolate themselves from others and phone their GP.

The general public is advised to follow advice from the HSE and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre to protect their health.

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