Prime Minister Leo Varadkar is re-registering as a doctor and will work one shift a week with the Irish Health Service Executive.

Varadkar’s family has a medical background. His husband is a cardiologist. And before entering politics, Varadkar was a general practitioner.

Related: America’s ‘kill the gays’ hate preacher just became the first person banned from Ireland

The Irish government has asked retired medical personnel to consider returning to the field to assist with the coronavirus pandemic. More than 5,000 confirmed cases had been diagnosed in the country and almost 200 had died when Varadkar announced he would return to medicine on Tuesday.

The Prime Minister will reportedly communicate with patients who have been exposed to the virus via telephone or video link.

Varadkar is the first out gay premier, the first of both Irish and Indian heritage, and the youngest prime minister ever to hold the office.

The country decriminalized homosexuality in 1993.