NI preparing for possibility of first case of coronavirus

Health Minister Robin Swann has said he is working with Westminster and the other devolved regions in preparation for a case of coronavirus.

As of Wednesday evening there had been no cases of the virus either in Northern Ireland or the rest of the UK.

Robin Swann took part in a Cobra meeting with ministers from Westminster and the devolved regions at which he said a "firm commitment'' was given to a coordinated approach.

The city of Wuhan in China is the epicentre of the outbreak of the virus which has spread across an estimated 16 countries, including Thailand, France, the US and Australia.

More than 130 people have died in China and close to 6,000 have been infected.

Mr Swann issued an urgent statement to the Stormont Assembly following the Cobra meeting to say that his priority remains "to ensure effective measures are in place within Northern Ireland''.

The minister described the situation as "rapidly evolving'', with "numbers of cases changing very frequently''.

"As of 2pm today, there are 130 confirmed negative results in the UK. Given the relatively small numbers at this time, we will continue to provide aggregated UK numbers to protect individual patient confidentiality,'' he said.

"I have agreed with my UK counterparts that any confirmed UK positive result will be announced by the CMO of the region concerned, followed by a statement by the CMO for England and a ministerial statement.

"It is not unreasonable to assume at some point we will have a positive case in Northern Ireland.''

The minister added: "While the current risk is assessed as low for the UK, members will appreciate this is a rapidly evolving situation. Hence this risk assessment is under constant review.''

Mr Swann also advised any Northern Ireland residents currently in China to "follow the advice of the local authorities and leave if they are able to do so''.

"I want to reassure members that my department and the Public Health Agency continue to work closely with the relevant authorities and public health organisations across the UK and Ireland to ensure Northern Ireland is well prepared to deal with the situation as events unfold,'' he said.