Seven new cases of coronavirus confirmed in Ireland

There are now 13 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland.

The Department of Health has confirmed seven new cases of coronavirus in the Republic of Ireland, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 13 in total. The seven new cases were confirmed at the most recent daily briefing by the Department of Health and come after a sixth diagnosis, in the south of the country, was confirmed earlier on Thursday. https://twitter.com/roinnslainte/status/1235668159874641920 Four of the seven new cases have been diagnosed in males in the east of the country who travelled from northern Italy. Two of the cases – both females - are as a result of close contact with an existing case in the west of the country. One new case, meanwhile, a male in the south of the country, is as a result of community transmission. The patient is currently being treated at Cork University Hospital (CUH), where all outpatient appointments on Friday (6 March) have been cancelled. Patients will be contacted and appointments rescheduled as soon as possible, while strict visiting restrictions remain in place at the hospital. Dialysis, chemotherapy, radiation treatments and infusions will proceed as planned. https://twitter.com/CUH_Cork/status/1235656479144841216 https://twitter.com/CUH_Cork/status/1235658034824835073 The HSE has said that it is working rapidly to identify any contacts the patients may have had, to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread of the virus. At a briefing on Thursday night, Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer with the Department of Health, said: “Ireland remains in containment phase with just one case of community transmission. This is, however, a rapidly evolving situation. Public health doctors are working hard to ensure our containment measures are operating effectively." For more information on conditions, symptoms and treatments for coronavirus, check out the HSE website, while a video explaining how the coronavirus spreads can be accessed here.