By Press Association

Latest: There is a “moderate” risk of a coronavirus outbreak in Ireland with health experts saying they are prepared to deal with any cases.

While there have been no confirmed cases of the virus, a number of tests have been carried out on concerned patients.

Speaking at a HSE briefing in Dublin, Dr John Cuddihy, director of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), advised any members of the public who have developed symptoms and have travelled to the centre of the coronavirus outbreak to ring their GP.

“If somebody has travelled to Wuhan in the Hubei province and you become unwell, especially with respiratory symptoms, temperature, cough, breathing difficulties, within 14 days of returning, then we’re emphasising that person should phone their GP and mention relevant concerns,” Dr Cuddihy said.

Currently there are no cases of coronavirus in Ireland, and therefore you're extremely unlikely to catch a virus from somebody in Ireland

“If there were to be a case in Ireland in the future then healthcare professionals will contact anyone who’s been in close contact with the infected case and advise them.

“In caring for that patient, adherence to the infection prevention control and guidance that we have disseminated would make it very unlikely that the case would transmit and cause another case.”

The HSE has also advised Irish citizens to avoid travelling to the Hubei province unless it is essential.

The group of health experts were asked about any potential cases in Ireland after it was reported on Thursday that a High Court Judge was told by a doctor that a Dublin hospital may have a suspected case.

Dr Kevin Kelleher, assistant national director of Public Health and Child Health, said he had “no idea” about the case.

Joe Ryan, national director of national services, said that management has been developing the plans to respond to the virus.

Winter briefing including coronavirus update https://t.co/Ih2CnXG7ao — HSE Ireland (@HSELive) January 30, 2020

A HSE multidisciplinary team has been working on what is needed to deal with the virus since early January.

Mr Ryan said: “Our current priorities are that the HSE emergency management protocols are in place alongside our public health emergency plans, and we’re using these to manage the situation.”

The heath experts said that, if they are seriously concerned about a patient’s safety, the patient can be put into isolation.

A woman wears a face mask (Victoria Jones/PA)

Dr Kelleher added: “We are putting a massive amount of effort into dealing with any really quite low degree of possibility of a case to ensure that we don’t miss anything.”

It comes as Ireland is hoping to secure seats on a French evacuation flight for a small number of citizens living in China who are concerned about the coronavirus.

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said that efforts were being made to help those who wanted to leave.

He said: “We have spoken to our French colleagues and we are hopeful and confident that we can secure a seat on planes that would take Irish citizens who want to leave out.

“Then, when they arrive back in Europe, they will have to go through the appropriate health measures to ensure that they are not carrying an infection and their healthcare needs are being looked after as they should be.”

Doctor tells High Court of potential coronavirus case in Dublin hospital

Update 4pm: A Dublin hospital may have a case of the coronavirus, a doctor has told the High Court.

High Court president Mr Justice Peter Kelly was told by a doctor during a hearing today that he had just received a text to say that a Dublin hospital, arising from a patient having attended its accident and emergency department, “potentially” has a case of the virus.

The doctor was giving evidence during a hearing to decide whether an elderly woman with dementia, who is currently placed in a nursing unit, should remain there, be moved to a nursing home, return to her home, where some family members are living, or go to the home of one of her adult children.

The nursing unit is not the location of the potential coronavirus case, the doctor stressed in reply to the judge.

The hearing is continuing.

HSE officials are currently giving a winter briefing which includes an update on the coronavirus.

They say Ireland is "very well prepared" to deal with the coronavirus but there have been no confirmed cases so far.

More as we get it ...