Ireland and other EU countries have been told to be on alert for possible cases of the coronavirus.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) now rates the risk of the occurrence of cases as moderate to high.
Four people who caught the virus on a cruise ship in Japan were allowed to fly back to the UK, before getting their test results.
The four are being treated at specialist centres in the north of England after testing positive for the illness.
Two Irish people were on that flight but the Department of Health said late last night the there have been no confirmed cases of coronavirus here.
The two Irish citizens, along with 30 British people, arrived at a quarantine block at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside on Saturday.
A statement from the National Public Health Emergency Team said that they have noted that the ECDE " now rates the risk of the occurrence of similar clusters of cases in other EU countries as moderate to high."
The team met last night and the statement said they "will meet again on Tuesday, 25 Feb, to monitor the situation in Europe and globally, and to advance preparedness plans for Ireland."
Yesterday, authorities in Italy scrambled to halt the spread of Europe’s first major outbreak of coronavirus amid rapidly rising numbers of infections and a third death, calling off the popular Venice Carnival and scrapping major league football matches.
Authorities said three people in Venice have tested positive for the viral disease known as Covid-19, all of them in their late 80s and who were taken to hospital in critical condition.
Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer in the Department of Health here, said:
“Ireland has been working on its preparedness for Covid-19 (Coronavirus) since January.
"We remain in a containment phase and, to date, there have been no confirmed cases of Covid-19 here.
“However, clearly the international situation is evolving. We will work with counterparts at the ECDC and WHO over the coming days to fully assess and incorporate the implications of these developments into our approach in Ireland.
“Our public health advice currently remains unchanged - anyone who may have been in contact with a person who has COVID-19, or who has been to mainland China in the last 14 days, is advised to contact HSE Live.
"If they are unwell with cough, especially with respiratory symptoms (e.g. cough, high temperature, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, fever) they should isolate themselves and phone their GP immediately."
More than 2,500 people have died following the coronavirus outbreak in China, authorities have said.
Health officials said 150 new deaths and 409 new cases were recorded on Sunday.
The number of deaths in mainland China stands at 2,592, while 77,345 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the country.
The Department of Health has advised the public to wash their hand "properly and regularly" and to cover their "mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough and sneeze".
It can take up to 14 days for symptoms of coronavirus to show.
They said symptoms may include:
- a cough
- shortness of breath
- breathing difficulties
- fever (high temperature)
- additional reporting by Press Association
