Covid-19 case confirmed in Bantry

A MEDICAL centre in Bantry has posted on their Facebook page that the town has its first Covid-19 case.

In a posting after lunchtime, Marino Medical Centre on Wolfe Tone Square in the town said that 'as Bantry has its first confirmed Covid-19 case Marino Medical welcomes the announcement to close schools, créches and universities.'

They went onto to say that as a Covid-19 case has been confirmed the key now is to slow it down.

This is the first confirmed case in West Cork and comes following the Government's announcement earlier today that schools, colleges and créches will close from tomorrow until March 29th as part of new measures to interrupt the transmission of  Covid-19. There should also be no gatherings involving more than 100 people if located indoors or involving 500 people if located outdoors.

One woman in the east of the country has died from the virus and by yesterday there were 43 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the Republic of Ireland.

The Department of Health has announced this evening that there have been 27 new cases detected in the Republic of Ireland in the last 24 hours.