HEALTH OFFICIALS HAVE this evening confirmed there are three new cases of coronavirus in the Republic of Ireland, bringing the total to 24 here.

With 12 confirmed in the North, the total number of cases on the island of Ireland is now 36. 

This afternoon, it emerged that all St Patrick’s Day parades in the country are to be cancelled. 

Here are the main points you need to know about the situation in Ireland: 

• Three new cases of the virus were confirmed by health officials this evening – all had been in contact with previous confirmed cases
• Two new cases were confirmed in the Republic of Ireland last night
• There are now 24 cases in the Republic
• There are 12 cases in Northern Ireland after five more were confirmed last night
• Last night’s cases were confirmed to be one female in the east of the country and one male in the south
• The new Cabinet sub-committee on Covid-19 met today
• A decision was made to cancel all St Patrick’s Day parades 
• Ireland’s Six Nations match with France in Paris was postponed 
• Over 1,000 people have been tested for the coronavirus in Ireland so far 
• The majority of cases in the Republic are related to travel from northern Italy

Here’s what you need to know from around the world: 

• Mounting worries over coronavirus, combined with other factors, led to ‘carnage’ in the financial markets 
• A quarter of Italy’s population is under lockdown to contain the spread of Covid-19
• Six inmates at a prison in northern Italy have died after overdosing on methadone during protests against Covid-19 measures
• France has banned gatherings of more than 1,000 people
• South Korea has seen its lowest daily rise in new Covid-19 cases for two weeks
• A virus-affected cruise ship off California was set to dock 
• In the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said preparations are now being made to move from the ‘containment phase’ to the ‘delaying phase’, which involves measures to slow the spread of the disease in the community. 
• Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade is also being cancelled. The city’s mayor, Marty Walsh, announced it on Twitter this evening.

Visitor restrictions 

Strict visitor restrictions are in place at a number of hospitals around the country.

In the south, restrictions have been implemented in:

• Cork University Hospital
• Cork University Maternity Hospital
• University Hospital Kerry
• University Hospital Waterford
• South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital
• Mercy University Hospital
• Bantry General Hospital
• Mallow General Hospital

The Bon Secours Hospital in Cork, which is treating a patient with coronavirus, has a no visitor policy at the moment with exceptions only for critically ill patients and those with specific care needs. 

‘Containment phase’

There is a “moderate to high risk” Ireland will follow the pattern of Covid-19 spread seen in other EU countries, Minister for Health Simon Harris said on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.

“Ireland is at an early stage of progression here compared to other European countries,” Harris said.  

Speaking to members of the press today, Harris said the best estimate for how high this risk could be is due “by the end of the week”. 

Countries around the world have been cancelling events (like St Patrick’s Day parades here) and enforcing quarantines to try to prevent further spread of the disease. 

A decision from the Cabinet sub-committee on the issue of sick pay for workers is also expected today. 

It is feared that workers who do not have sick pay entitlements in their contracts, and who can’t afford a loss of income will not take time off from work and could spread the virus by working while sick.  

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said yesterday evening that Ireland “remains in containment phase”.

The HSE said the risk of catching Covid-19 in Ireland is still low to moderate but this may change.  

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In TheJournal.ie’s Voices section this morning, we heard from Professor Sam McConkey who said the government could not take a hands-off approach to the developing coronavirus situation. 

“How governments mobilise and respond now will determine its length and severity,” McConkey writes. 

A hands-off, worry-about-it-later approach to containment is precisely how a disease spreads and takes hold. Once a certain critical mass of people is infected, a disease becomes uncontrollable, and treatment switches from preventative to curative. This places massive pressure on a country’s healthcare system and virtually every other part of its economy and society.

Symptoms and prevention 

Covid-19 is spread through sneezes or cough droplets. It may take up to 14 days for symptoms to show. 

The best ways to protect yourself and others from the virus are to wash hands properly and often, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue/your sleeve when coughing and sneezing, and put used tissues in a bin and wash your hands. 

Symptoms of Covid-19 include:

• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Fever
• Breathing difficulties

Further resources:

• The HSE: Official advice on the coronavirus in Ireland. This is being updated based on the number of confirmed cases and how the virus spreads in Ireland.
• The Department of Foreign Affairs: Official advice on where to avoid travelling to. Also a resource for those who are abroad.
• The World Health Organisation (WHO): The UN agency on global public health publishes statements and daily situation reports based on the latest data.
• European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC): The EU agency on the number of cases, deaths and how it’s spreading in Europe. 
• The Johns Hopkins University map: A heat map of the confirmed cases across the world.

With reporting by Garreth MacNamee