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Coronavirus case confirmed at Irish university as number of people infected in Ireland doubles overnight

A STUDENT at an Irish university is confirmed to have contracted coronavirus with the number of cases reported in the country doubling overnight.

It was one of seven new cases confirmed by the HSE on Thursday night and was from within Trinity College Dublin.

The university has written to staff and students to inform them that a case of Covid-19 has been reported within the college and that part of the city centre campus will be closed for the foreseeable future.

They've also said that the HSE will contact anyone who was in close contact with the infected person to try and distinguish if the virus has spread or not.

Of the seven new cases of coronavirus, one patient is understood to have contracted the virus via community transmission, rather than by travelling to an infected area such as northern Italy or coming in direct contact with someone confirmed with the virus.

It's the first example of such a case in the country.

Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said the country remains in the containment phase, but warned it is a "rapidly evolving situation".

Dr Holohan urged a "national effort" to prevent potential spread.

"Public health doctors are working hard to ensure our containment measures are operating effectively," he said.

"Most people who become infected with Covid-19 experience a mild illness and recover, but it can be more severe for some.

"However, this will need a national effort. Every individual needs to be aware of how to protect their own health and the health of others.

"The most important way they can do this is by following public health advice. Central to this are the protective measures we can all take against Covid-19.

"We are still in a containment phase but our experience has shown that this does move quickly to a further phase and we need the public to heed our advice we are giving."

If you have returned from a country or region with spread of COVID-19 (#coronavirus) visit our website for advice. https://t.co/29felTHXMn pic.twitter.com/0UPKgJ25L4

— HSE Ireland (@HSELive) February 27, 2020