Health chiefs confirm first case of coronavirus has been diagnosed in Northern Ireland
- The patient is receiving specialist care and officials are working to identify any contacts the patient had to help prevent further spread
- At a media briefing Northern Ireland’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride said the country has been preparing for a positive case
- It comes as a Derbyshire town went into lockdown today as a GP surgery shut, a primary school closed and residents were left too afraid to visit the shops
The first case of coronavirus has been diagnosed in Northern Ireland, it is understood.
The test outcome has now been sent to Public Health England laboratories for verification.
The patient is receiving specialist care and officials are working to identify any contacts the patient had to help prevent further spread.
Northern Ireland’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride said: ‘We have been planning for the first positive case in Northern Ireland and have made clear that it was a question of when not if.
‘We have robust infection control measures in place which enable us to respond immediately. Our health service is used to managing infections and would assure the public that we are prepared.
Northern Ireland’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride said they have been planning for the first positive case in Northern Ireland
‘Our advice to the public remains the same. Members of the public who have visited affected regions and have symptoms are advised to self-isolate at home and contact their GP in the first instance. Advice will then be given on next steps, including testing if required.’
Asked whether the person is from Northern Ireland, Dr McBride said: ‘I think the most important thing here is that we respect patient confidentiality so I’m not going to disclose any personal details about this individual. It would be inappropriate for me to do so. It would be wrong for me to do so.’
He added that he would not confirm where the individual is being held.
It comes as a Derbyshire town went into lockdown today as a GP surgery shut, a primary school closed and residents were left too afraid to visit the shops because of a confirmed coronavirus case.
The unidentified patient is believed to have a child at Burbage Primary School in Buxton, whose headteacher today announced it had shut for a ‘deep clean’ because one of the ‘parent population’ was infected.
It’s thought they stayed at the four-star H10 Costa Adeje Palace Hotel in Tenerife, where hundreds of holidaymakers – including 160 Britons – are currently being quarantined because of an outbreak of the deadly coronavirus.
It comes as another man from Derbyshire stuck in the same resort warned none of the Brits trapped in the seafront hotel ‘feel safe’.
Others earlier begged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to rescue them in a ‘Wuhan-style’ evacuation.