Queen’s University Belfast will remain “open and operating as normal”, despite confirmation that a postgraduate student has tested positive for the positive case of a coronavirus in one student.
BBC News has reported that the student had recently returned from northern Italy, and is not linked to the other two cases of the virus in Northern Ireland.
In a statement, Queen’s said: “We have been informed by the Public Health Agency of a presumptive positive case of COVID-19 (coronavirus) within the University.”
“The University is working with the Public Health Agency to ensure that anyone who has been in contact with the infected individual is identified and supported to receive medical attention if required, and to take all appropriate steps to contain any further spread of the virus and to protect the welfare of all within the University community and the wider public”, the statement said.
“The University remains open and is operating as normal. The University will continue to closely monitor the situation.”
“The University has provided online guidance for staff and students and encourages all members of the Queen’s community to follow the latest official guidance from the Public Health Agency and other relevant authorities”, the university said. “The University’s Major Incident Team has been convened and is putting in place the appropriate contingency measures which will be communicated to staff and students when appropriate.”
Yesterday, Trinity said that the fate of this year’s Trinity Ball could be up in the air due to the spread of coronavirus.
College is leaving open the possibility that the ball could be shut down if the HSE’s surveillance taskforce advises it.
But Trinity “will not be making any decisions regarding mass gatherings and closures”, and will follow the recommendations of the HSE’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre on any gatherings, Thomas Deane, a media relations officer in Trinity, wrote in an email statement to The University Times.
College may also have to run exams online this year, rather than in the RDS. Deane told The University Times that “Trinity is continuing to explore options for the online delivery of course content and assessments, as well as considering a range of other accommodations that may be put in place to ensure that our students are able to complete their studies for this academic year”.
Last night, four new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in the Republic, after two males and two females from the same family tested positive for the disease.
