A fifth person in Italy has died from the coronavirus.
Meanwhile, the number of infections has soared to more than 200.
A dozen Italian towns are now in lockdown as authorities race to contain the biggest outbreak of covid-19 in Europe.
The Department of Foreign Affairs is now advising Irish citizens not to travel to areas in northern Italy.
🇮🇹 We have updated our #traveladvice for #Italy: https://t.co/UMpDlfmsxF ("Overview" - "Latest Travel Alert" - "Coronavirus") @IrlEmbRome #ItalyCoronavirus #coronaviruslombardia #coronavirus #COVID19 #COVID19italia
Download our free #TravelWise app: https://t.co/Y2p0zSPGYK
— DFATravelWise (@dfatravelwise) February 24, 2020
There are also concerns about an upcoming 6 Nations rugby match at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin between Ireland and Italy.
Health Minister Simon Harris says that mass gatherings could pose a risk of the virus spreading.
The National Public Health Emergency Team will meet tomorrow.
