A MAN in Belfast who was suspected of having contracted coronavirus has tested negative for the condition.
The unnamed male arrived in the Northern Irish capital from China last weekend.
He was thought to have travelled from Wuhan, the city where the virus outbreak originated from.
As a precautionary measure, he was admitted to Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital for testing.
The Department of Health has now confirmed that the man does not have the virus, which has killed 41 people in China already.
A new hospital is currently being constructed in Wuhan to try and deal with the escalating number of patients.
There are currently 1,287 confirmed cases in the Far East.
Coronavirus has also spread to Europe with three confirmed cases in France.
Five people are also being tested in Scotland for the virus.
Despite this the Department of Health believes the "risk to the public remains low" and they are continuing to "closely monitor" the situation.
Northern Ireland's chief medical officer Michael McBride told the BBC he is "being kept fully informed about the steps being taken to protect the public by the Public Health Agency and I am providing the (health) minister with updates".
See More: Belfas, China, Coronavirus
