Three people are said to be in isolation at University Hospital Limerick awaiting test results for the coronavirus.
The HSE and the Department of Health have both declined to comment after sources at UHL said the three in-patients were awaiting test results for the virus after presenting at the hospital.
Two female patients are understood to have been admitted to the hospital with flu-like symptoms after they had travelled together to Ireland from China in recent days.
A third male patient, who is believed to have travelled to Ireland from China recently, also presented at the hospital with similar symptoms.
All three are awaiting the results of tests, which take at least eight hours to process, a source said.
The patients were being accommodated in special isolation rooms at the hospital as a precaution and in line with usual infection control protocols.
When contacted, a UL Hospitals Group spokesman said they were not aware of any suspected cases at the hospital and directed media queries to the national HSE press office.
'No confirmed cases'
A HSE spokeswoman replied: “Please be advised that the HSE and the Department of Health are not providing information about individual activations of preparedness plans or about individual cases of novel Coronavirus (2019-ncCoV) other than confirmed cases.”
A spokeswoman at the Department of Health also stated they would not be providing information unless it was in relation to a confirmed case.
They stated: “There have been 15 suspected cases of Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) tested in the National Virus Reference Laboratory (NVRL) as of Monday 3 February. To date, there are no confirmed cases of Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Ireland."
Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Health, Dr Tony Holohan, said: “The event of a confirmed case of Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Ireland is possible, given the increase in cases we are seeing internationally.”
“Ireland has comprehensive Public Health and Emergency Plans in place and is prepared for the event of a confirmed case, should one arise."
Reporting by David Raleigh
