First coronavirus patients to arrive at dedicated isolation facility

HSE chief Paul Reid.

15 coronavirus patients will arrive in the country's first dedicated isolation facility this afternoon.

The facility at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin has the capacity for up to 1,500 beds.

It will be available to people who need to isolate and can not do so in their own home.

HSE Chief Executive Paul Reid says people must be referred into the facility.

“We have our first 15 appointments due in," said the health chief.

“Everybody who will come to this facility will be through a referral.”

There are plans for a further eight dedicated self-isolation and coronavirus step down facilities nationwide.

“All across the country, we’ll have a number of these centres, in the major urban centres," said Mr Reid.

“So Cork, Limerick, Galway, Sligo, Waterford. They’ll have further a 1,200-bed capacities with similar supports for the communities.

“The vast majority of people don’t need hospital or don’t need acute care but they do need supports.

“So that’s primarily what these facilities are for.”