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Ireland has confirmed its first case of coronavirus.

A man has tested positive for the Covid-19 pathogen in the east of the Irish Republic, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan​ announced on Saturday.

It joins a host of countries to confirm their first cases on Saturday, including Luxembourg, Ecuador, and Qatar.

The virus has caused nearly 80,000 infections and 2,835 deaths in China, according to official figures.

It has spread to at least 46 countries, where more than 3,700 cases and 50 deaths have been reported, according to the World Health Organisation, which raised its global spread and impact risk alert to "very high" on Friday.

Northern Ireland said the region’s first case of coronavirus, which was reported on Thursday, has been confirmed by laboratory tests.

Meanwhile, Three more patients have tested positive for the coronavirus in England, bringing the total number of UK cases to 23 while the US has confirmed 22 cases and its first death.

In Ireland, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre was alerted to the first case in the country on Saturday.

It is associated with travel from an affected area in northern Italy, rather than contact with another confirmed case.

Dr Holohan said the patient was receiving appropriate medical care.

"This is not unexpected. We have been preparing for this eventuality for many weeks now," he said.

"Public health protocols have been in place since January and are operating effectively.

"The health service is well used to managing infectious diseases and has robust response measures in place."

Dr John Cuddihy, director of Ireland’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre, said: “The HSE (Health Service Executive) is now working rapidly to identify any contacts the patient may have had, to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread.

“It is important to note that the risk of transmission through casual contact is low.”

Meanwhile, Brazil's Health Ministry on Saturday confirmed the country's second case of the fast-spreading new coronavirus, diagnosed in a patient in São Paulo who had recently visited Italy.

Authorities said they were gathering information and more details would be provided later. Brazil's first case of the novel coronavirus was confirmed on Feb. 26, during the country's carnival holiday, a peak time for domestic travel.

Luxembourg also confirmed its first coronavirus case on Saturday, the RTL news outlet reported.

The patient was a man in his 40s who had recently travelled to Italy and returned via Belgium's Charleroi airport, Health Minister Paulette Lenert said, according to RTL.

Qatar also reported its first case on Saturday.

Ecuador also confirmed the first case, reported in the Andean country, its health minister said on Saturday.

The patient is an elderly female Ecuadorean residing in Spain, Catalina Andramuño, the health minister, told reporters. The patient arrived in Ecuador on February 14 on a direct flight from Madrid without showing any symptoms, but soon felt ill and went to a hospital where she was diagnosed with the coronavirus.

"The patient is currently in intensive care at one of the hospitals we had designated to attend to coronavirus," Mr Andramuño said, adding that the government was monitoring people who may have come into contact with the patient.

Deaths in Iran from coronavirus hit 43, the highest number outside China, and the number of infected people rose to 593, an Iranian health official said on Saturday.