A man in the east of the country has been diagnosed with coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases in the Republic of Ireland to 19.
The man's illness is associated with travel to an affected area in Northern Italy, health bosses have said.
The HSE say they are working rapidly to identify people the sick man may have been in contact with, to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spreading of the virus.
A statement from the National Public Health Emergency Team said: "The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been informed of a new confirmed case of COVID-19 in Ireland, a male, in the east of Ireland, associated with travel from northern Italy.
"There are now 19 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland, as of midday, Saturday 7 March."
The National Public Health Emergency Team met on Saturday to consider guidance from the Expert Advisory Group on managing healthcare workers who are close contacts of a confirmed case.
This guidance was developed in light of the recent diagnosis of COVID-19 in a patient hospitalised in Cork University Hospital, which has led to a significant number of close contacts with healthcare workers.
Dr Cillian de Gascun, Chair of the Expert Advisory Group, said: “There is a risk to patients of acquiring COVID-19 from an exposed health care worker.
“However, if a health facility cannot be staffed safely to provide critical services, then the following guidance to mitigate risk will assist:
· “Health care workers who have had close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 and have developed symptoms should be excluded from work
· "Health care workers who have had close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 and have not developed symptoms, and are deemed to be essential workers, may work, provided they observe strict adherence to infection prevention and control precautions, and undergo twice daily active monitoring by occupational health, for 14 days after contact with a confirmed case of COVID19.”
On Friday, five new cases of coronavirus were confirmed by the government.
All of these cases are associated with contact with confirmed cases or associated with travel.
The patients who have been diagnosed are a male in the east associated with travel from northern Italy, a female in the west who had close contact with a confirmed case, a female healthcare worker in the south associated with a confirmed case, a male in the south associated with travel and a female in the south associated with travel from northern Italy.
The male patient in the south whose case is associated with travel did not travel from an area known to be affected by coronavirus.
Meanwhile, in Northern Ireland, three more people tested positive for the illness today.
All three are adults who had recently travelled from Italy and are linked to a previous case.
Including Northern Irish cases, the number of people infected on the island of Ireland now stands at 26.
