Breaking news - 2nd case of the Covid-19 has been confirmed in Ireland tonight
A second case of Covid-19 has been confirmed in Ireland tonight.
The case concerns a female in the east of Ireland who travelled from Northern Italy.
Officials say it is not unexpected and Ireland remains on containment with no community transmission.
Up to yesterday, 397 people have been tested and the results have been negative with the exceptions of the two confirmed cases.
No decision has been made on the St Patrick's Day festival but it is understood senior officials will introduce guildance on mass attendance events in coming days.
The first confirmed case was on Saturday when a male teenager from a school in the east of the country was diagnosed. He had just returned from northern Italy.
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Earlier, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said there was a moderate to high risk of an outbreak of more cases and it could have an impact on the Irish economy.
Speaking to the media this afternoon, he said it could result in a slowdown in growth in Ireland and a slowdown in global growth, but he said this would rebound or bounce back.
The Taoiseach said the impact on the Irish economy would depend on what happens in China because it makes up 10% of world tourism and 10% of world trade.
He said the indications are that the Chinese economy is slowing down and may even go into recession, which would have a knock-on effect on Ireland.
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Italy, which does not make face masks, is getting 800,000 of them from South Africa but needs at least 10 million more, a top Italian civil protection official has said.
"We received 400,000 from South Africa (on Monday) and will receive as many" on Wednesday, Civil Protection Department director Luigi D'Angelo said..
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He said the supplies are being delivered to Rome's Fiumicino airport and then distributed across Italy, which has recorded 79 deaths and more than 2,500 virus cases since 22 February - the most in Europe by far.
Mr D'Angelo said Italy needed "eight million surgical masks", which should be used either by those suffering from the virus or those who have been in contact with sick people.
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