An Emergency Department Nurse during a demonstration of the Coronavirus pod and COVID-19 virus testing procedures set-up beside the Emergency Department of Antrim Area Hospital, Co Antrim in Northern Ireland. Photo: Michael Cooper/PA Wire

The first death of a coronavirus patient in Ireland has been confirmed this evening.

The woman passed away at Naas General Hospital.

And the number of people who have tested positive for the coronavirus has risen to 43 following news of the first death from the infection in the Republic.

Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan announced another nine were diagnosed with the virus today.

Four men got it after travel, while others got it from confirmed cases.

There were no cases where the source could not be found.

He said there are plans to step up the containment phase and doctors will extend testing.

This comes as the World Health Organisationhas declared COVID-19 a global pandemic as the new coronavirus, which was unknown to world health officials just three months ago, has rapidly spread to more than 121,000 people from Asia, to Europe, the Middle East and now parts of the United States.

The woman who contracted the virus has died in a hospital in the east of the country.

She is understood to have had underlying illness and was treated in hospital initially for respiratory problems.

The woman, who is believed to have been in the older age group, had been very ill for days but sadly now has passed away.

Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan extended his sympathies to the woman's loved ones.

He said in a statement: "I would like to extend my condolences to the family and friends of this patient.

"I urge the media and the public to respect their privacy at this difficult time.

"We continue our efforts to interrupt the transmission of this virus. It will take all of us, collectively to succeed. Please continue to follow public health advice."

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “In the past two weeks the number of cases outside China has increased thirteenfold and the number of affected countries has tripled.

“In the days and weeks ahead, we expect to see the number of cases, the number of deaths and the number of affected countries to climb even higher.”

He said several countries have demonstrated the ability to suppress and control the outbreak, scolding other world leaders for failing to act quickly enough or drastically enough to contain the spread.

“We’re deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction,” he said, just before declaring the pandemic.

“We have rung the alarm bell loud and clear,” he added.

China and Korea have significantly declining cases and 81 countries have not reported any cases, he said, adding that 57 countries have 10 cases or less.

“We can not say this loudly enough or clearly enough or often enough, all countries can still change the course of this pandemic,” he said.

The Department of Health said on Tuesday evening that 34 people in the Republic had been confirmed as positive with the virus.

Since then it has emerged a man has tested positive for the virus in University Hospital Waterford bringing the total to 35.

A briefing by Dr Holohan this evening will reveal if it has increased further following the results of the most recent batch of tests.

The woman who died is among three patients who picked up the virus through community transmission where the source is not known.

The new coronavirus can affect older people and those with certain health conditions more severely.

Just like the regular winter flu, respiratory viruses are more severe in older people.

As people age their immune system ages and is less effective.

Underlying conditions and generally weaker constitutions and immune systems mean that respiratory viruses are harder on older groups.

People with existing illnesses like blood pressure, heart disorders, diabetes, liver disorders, and respiratory disease also have lower defences and are more at risk of developing severe symptoms.

Another patient who contracted the virus at a Cork hospital is also understood to be very ill with underlying illness.

The health service is grappling with the cancellation of hundreds of surgeries and outpatient appointments.

A number of other events were scrapped, from festivals to charity fundraisers, and Trinity College Dublin shut its lecture halls with a move to online learning.

The Department of Education moved to issue a statement scotching rumours it was about to order the closure of all schools.

Contingency planning around the greater spread of coronavirus into school communities is being stepped up.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan has written to schools urging them to ensure they have up to date contact details for parents, and that they are in a position to share it with public health authorities.

The sharing of information is essential for effective contact tracing in the event that a case of Covid-19 is detected, but it has to comply with GDPR regulations around the sharing of personal data.

In a letter to principals last night, Dr Holohan acknowledged that it was “understandable that anxieties and fears built up around the emergence of a new disease.”

He warned that these factors “can also give rise to harmful stereotypes”, but insisted that the response to the evolving situation must be “proportionate, necessary and based on special public health advice”.

Dr Holohan repeated that schools should not take unilateral decisions to close and gave an assurance to public health professionals would contact them if any action was needed.

The letter came in the wake of a flurry of activity on social media in recent days that a decision had been taken not to reopen schools after St Patrick’s Day. No such decision has been taken, although that could change, and with little warning.

The Chief Medical Officer referred to the closure of a number of schools last week, following decisions made “on public health grounds after thorough risk assessments deemed it appropriate”.

The schools were asked to close for 14 days in order to prevent the possible spread of infection, while public health officials engaged in a contact tracing process.

Apart from those cases, “all other schools will remain open” Dr Holohan said, although Health Minister Simon Harris has acknowledged that the time may come when schools will close.

Other drastic measures included a cinema chain announcing every second seat would be left empty, and new guidelines for wedding ceremonies.

Banks may allow their mortgage customers to defer monthly repayments if the coronavirus causes massive economic disruption.

The confirmed number of people struck by the infection shot up to 35, in the biggest rise seen in a single day since the virus hit Ireland.

It was revealed this morning that a man has tested positive for the new coronavirus in University Hospital Waterford.

The man is understood to have been in hospital for some time.

A floor of the hospital, the Dunmore wing which has single rooms, has been screened off to care for patients with confirmed or suspected infection.

It is understood the Waterford case will be included in the latest number of positive patients to be released later today.

Other cases include two healthcare workers - one in the south and another in the east. However, none of the newly diagnosed cases was infected through community transmission. There has been a surge of 1,387 tests in the past week alone.

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Meanwhile, the prospect of a historic coalition between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil is a step closer as they prepare to enter talks as "equal partners".

The unprecedented coronavirus crisis has pushed the two parties into negotiations aimed at ending the political impasse since the election.

Health workers who may be exposed to the virus and are healthy will be risk assessed before being assigned work, and tested twice daily. However, appointment cancellations were already imposed in Limerick and Cork.

Nursing Homes Ireland has warned of the dangers of the HSE poaching its staff as it lifts restrictions on recruitment. It said there is a risk nursing homes will be denuded of staff and the HSE should appoint overseas candidates on panels first.

Meanwhile, the expert group has given the go-ahead to regional laboratories to begin testing suspect cases.

Results should be available in 24-48 hours amid complaints about delays.

The group said strict visiting restrictions imposed by hospitals and nursing homes are not needed at this stage.

Controversial guidelines from the Irish Association of Funeral Directors, that any person who dies of coronavirus should be immediately cremated or buried without a funeral service, were also described as unwarranted.

Further official advice will be issued by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre today.

Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said 98pc of the 1,784 people tested so far "have tested negative". He warned that while Ireland "remains in containment phase there is no room for complacency".

The European disease watchdog has warned of the spread of many more cases of community transmission - where people are infected without a known source.

When that happens here, more stringent precautions will be felt by the population.

It is possible to explain the source of infection in all but three of the 34 cases in the Republic so far.

Asked about rumours that schools are about to be closed, Dr Holohan that it could not be ruled out at some stage, but will not be implemented at this point. A range of possible restrictive measures may be enforced in the future. But he said they will deployed at an appropriate time and that is "not necessarily now".

This followed an earlier statement from the Department of Education, in response to reports circulating widely on social media that schools would not reopen after St Patrick's Day.

"Any decision to close schools will be made on public health advice. There is no such advice at this point," a spokesperson said.

Trinity College in Dublin - which had a case of the infection last week - announced it would close lecture halls and deliver lessons online.

The Irish Cancer Society cancelled its main fundraising event, Daffodil Day, while children's charity Make-A-Wish Ireland has abandoned its street collection this Friday.

There has been a drop of around 5pc in commuters using public transport, including Irish Rail, Dublin Bus and Luas.

GPs have been told to look out for possible coronavirus infection in patients who have symptoms and have returned to Ireland from regions not currently on the at-risk list.

Five of the newly diagnosed cases picked up the virus abroad and three others, including a male and two women, were infected by another positive case.

Patients who have not been abroad but have unexplained severe respiratory illness are also to be considered for testing. Patients are asked not to attend their GP without an appointment.

Irish Independent