A male patient has tested positive for coronavirus at an Irish hospital despite having no history of travel from any affected areas.
It's understood the man's case of the Covid-19 bug - who was tested at University Hospital Waterford - is community acquired.
The ill man was an in-patient on a ward in the hospital and was not deemed a risk at first but on Monday, a decision was taken to test for the virus and he was found to be infected.
He has since been transferred to an isolation room in the hospital and people who may have come into contact with him at the hospital are now being contacted according to RTE.
A circular issued by University Hospital Waterford said: “We recognise that this is an anxious time for staff, patients and relatives.
"Line Managers have contacted all staff identified as working in the relevant clinical areas and have shared specific advice.”
The statement added that occupational health staff will contact each individual staff member today and public health colleagues will contact all patients identified as contacts.
A 24-hour staff care helpline has been set up and the hospital said it would not be giving any further details due to patient confidentiality.
Visitor restrictions have been in place at the hospital since last weekend.
It comes as ten new cases of coronavirus were confirmed yesterday, it's understood the man in University Hospital Waterford is not one of these.
It brings the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 34.
Three of these new cases are males in the south of the country.
One male and one female in the east of the country also tested positive, and both cases are associated with travel from an affected area.
Meanwhile three of the ten cases are associated with close contact with a confirmed case - a male and a female in the west and a female in the south.
