Latest: Health officials unable to explain source of Cork coronavirus case

Latest: At tonight's Covid-19 briefing, the chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan said they have been able to explain the source of the infection of each of the previous cases but not in the case which has arisen in Cork.

He said that gives rise to the possibility of community transmission but he said that is the pattern the virus has followed as it's spread in other countries.

Dr Colin Henry, HSE clinical officer, confirmed that the patient had spent a period in hospital before diagnosis and was in contact with health care workers.

A crisis management team has now been established to manage the situation.

Medical staff identified during contact tracing as at risk will be asked to self-isolate, he said.

He said CUH management and public health experts have also taken a series of robust and immediate actions to prioritise patient safety, including imposing visitor restrictions, ceasing elective surgery, cancelling out-patient appointments and clearing space for isolation.

He said those actions will be reviewed after the weekend.

First case of Covid-19 confirmed in Cork

The first case of Covid-19 has been confirmed in Cork - feared to be the first community-acquired case of the virus in this country.

Strict visitor restrictions have now been introduced at Cork University Hospital (CUH) where a middle-aged male patient is being treated in isolation.

It is understood that the patient presented at CUH a number of days ago with complications arising from an existing underlying health condition.

When his condition did not improve, a raft of new tests were ordered, including the test for Covid-19. It returned positive.

An extensive contact tracing exercise is now underway to identify close contacts, including the man’s family members, medical staff, patients and medical students.

The latest confirmed case is the 13th in the Republic but it is the first time that a case has been confirmed in a patient with no history of travel to affected areas in Northern Italy, and with no known contact with previous confirmed Covid-19 cases.

Of the new seven cases confirmed today, four involve males from the east of the country and are travel related from northern Italy.

Two others are associated with close contact with a confirmed case, two females in the west of the country.

In a statement the CUH said it had introduced strict visitor restrictions as a precautionary measure.

“We are advised by our experts that in the interest of patient safety we are currently restricting access to the hospital’s facilities to patients only.
“This is in the interest of patient care and in order to prevent the spread of infections within the hospital.
“ Anyone with any queries about visiting times or visiting a particular ward should ring the hospital on tel: 021-4922000.
“We regret any inconvenience caused to patients and relatives by these necessary measures, which are being taken in the interests of patient care.
“All infection control measures are in place and every effort is being made to manage and contain the spread of infection.”

The statement added: "All Outpatient appointments have been cancelled in Cork University Hospital tomorrow (Friday, March 6) due to Infection Control issues."

Management at the South/South West Hospital Group insisted however that CUH’s emergency department, one of the busiest in the country, remains open for emergency cases.

However, all out-patient appointments for tomorrow have been cancelled.

They said where appropriate, people should contact their GP or Southdoc in the first instance and explore all other options available to them before presenting to emergency departments in the city if their needs are not urgent.

The Mater Private Hospital in the city has also restricted access to its facilities to patients only.

As a precautionary measure, we are advised by our experts that in the interest of patient safety we are currently restricting access to the hospital’s facilities to patients only.

We thank you for your understanding and cooperation. pic.twitter.com/yfCZLs2uzl— Mater Private Cork (@MaterCork) March 5, 2020

The National Public health Emergency Team is due to provide the latest update on the outbreak this evening,

All the patients are associated with travel from the same affected area in Northern Italy.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Simon Harris said his one focus was “to contain this virus”.

“We will continue to provide all the information we can,” he said.

“It is also important to know that the vast majority of people who contract this virus will not need hospital care, they can be treated at home.”

"It is also important to know that currently in Ireland, the likelihood of person to person transmission is low."

He added: “I want to assure you our approach to this challenge is and will remain both vigilant and proportionate.”

Useful information
• The HSE have developed an information pack on how to protect yourself and others from coronavirus. Read it here
• Anyone with symptoms of coronavirus who has been in close contact with a confirmed case in the last 14 days should isolate themselves from other people - this means going into a different, well-ventilated room alone, with a phone; phone their GP, or emergency department - if this is not possible, phone 112 or 999 and in a medical emergency (if you have severe symptoms) phone 112 or 999
• Anyone with any queries about visiting times or visiting a particular ward at Cork University Hospital should ring the hospital on Tel: 021 – 4922000

Additional reporting by Greg Murphy, Joel Slattery and Sean O’Riordan