Coronavirus: Robin Swann says 'no room for complacency'

Health Minister Robin Swann has said it is "not unreasonable to assume" that there will be a positive case of the coronavirus in Northern Ireland.

Mr Swann said that although the current risk in the UK had been assessed as low, with no confirmed cases, it was a "rapidly evolving situation".

More than 130 people have died in China and close to 6,000 have been infected.

"There can be no room for complacency," added Mr Swann, following an emergency meeting with UK officials.

"I want to reassure members that my department and the Public Health Agency continue to work closely with the relevant authorities and public health organisations across the UK and Ireland to ensure Northern Ireland is well prepared to deal with the situation as events unfold."

He said he has agreed with his UK counterparts on Wednesday that any positive results will be announced by the region's chief medical officer.

The Chinese city of Wuhan is the epicentre of the outbreak.

The virus has spread across China and to at least 16 countries globally, including Thailand, France, the US and Australia.

There is no specific cure or vaccine, but a number of people have recovered after treatment.

There have been 130 confirmed negative results in the UK.

"It is not unreasonable to assume at some point we will have a positive case in Northern Ireland," Mr Swann said.

Robin Swann was appointed health minister earlier this month

"Hence this risk assessment is under constant review. Therefore there can be no room for complacency and my priority as minister is still to ensure effective measures are in place within Northern Ireland."

Mr Swann said the Department of Health had issued a letter from the chief medical officer "providing guidance to clinical staff on what to do if they encounter patients with respiratory infections arriving from overseas".

It has also set up an emergency operations centre and has updated relevant websites.