A PATIENT with suspected coronavirus who presented to a Co Down hospital last Friday has reportedly tested negative.
Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry was deep cleaned after the adult was assessed in an isolation unit.
Health authorities in Northern Ireland have said they will not be commenting on the number of people tested and will only confirm diagnosed cases.
The Southern health trust, which is responsible for the Newry hospital, said the Public Health Agency (PHA) was dealing with the issue.
When asked about last Friday's case, a PHA spokeswoman said that due to patient confidentiality they were not in position to comment.
But she added: "Currently no cases of coronavirus have been diagnosed in Northern Ireland."
The Department of Health has said it is "inevitable" that a "number of people" will be tested on a precautionary basis "in the weeks ahead".
Last Thursday night a full quarantine operation was launched at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry after a woman and her baby boy presented with symptoms similar to the virus.
They also tested negative.
"We would like to again assure the public that plans are in place to deal with a positive test for coronavirus in Northern Ireland when it occurs," a department spokesman said.
"...it is important to keep these tests in perspective. A test does not mean that a positive result is expected or likely."
The department also said authorities will not be commenting on each case involving where a person is being tested.
"There are patient confidentiality issues to consider, particularly when small numbers of people are involved. There is also a need to avoid undue alarm or speculation. This situation will be kept under review," a spokesman added.
Meanwhile, a GP practice in Brighton has been temporarily closed after a staff member tested positive for the coronavirus.
A total of eight people in the UK have now been infected by the coronavirus.
The Department of Health in England yesterday called the virus a "serious and imminent threat" to public health, but the overall risk to the population is "moderate".
The risk to individuals is low, the department said.
There have been more than 40,000 cases of the virus globally, mostly in China. The total number of deaths in China is now 908.
