A student is "in self-isolation" after returning to Ireland from China over fears they may have contracted the deadly coronavirus, it has emerged.
Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) said the student arrived on Sunday after leaving the city of Wuhan - where the killer disease broke out - day earlier.
However, the college has stressed that the measure is precautionary and the student is not ill at this time.
WIT is working with the HSE on the matter. The student has agreed not to attend college.
A spokeswoman told the Irish Mirror: "A student arrived in Waterford on Sunday having left Wuhan some days ago before the city was closed; he is not ill and as a precaution he has agreed not to attend college and stay in his accommodation by himself for the time being.
"The institute has consulted with the HSE."
Over 3,000 people - the vast majority from China - have contracted coronavirus so far.
The disease has already killed 80 people. It's believed most of these were over the age of 60.
Symptoms of the new virus include fever, cough and difficulty breathing.
Reports circulated last week that a decontamination exercise was carried out on one patient at Dublin's Mater Hospital.
The patient in question had a fever and had returned from the Asian country recently, but after an assessment it was found that she did not have traces of the coronavirus.
As well as this, there was also reports that suspected cases had been presented at St Vincent's Hospital, but this was later debunked.
As of Sunday afternoon, some 52 people across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have been tested for the deadly flu-like virus.
England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said there was a "fair chance" cases would emerge in Britain as the overall number reported around the world climbed to about 2,744.
