Officials from the Department of Health are meeting to assess the danger posed by the coronavirus here.

It comes as tests for the virus on 14 people in the UK have come back negative.

Checks on other patients are still ongoing.

England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said the risk to the public is "low" and there were no confirmed cases yet but warned "there may well be... at some stage".

Speaking after the British government's emergency committee was convened to discuss the outbreak that has killed 26 people in China, he added the UK has "tried and tested measures in place to respond" if needed.

A new public health hub is also to be set up at London's Heathrow Airport later on Friday.

Some 10 cities have been locked down in Hubei province in China to prevent the virus spreading, with at least 33 million people affected.

Restrictions include the suspension of public transport services, while some cities have also shut public venues such as temples and cinemas.

China has announced plans to build a 1,000-bed hospital in five days to treat victims.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the outbreak an emergency but said it was "too early" to consider it a "public health emergency of international concern" given "its restrictive and binary nature".

Symptoms of the virus are said to be similar to a cold, and include fever, sneezing and coughing.

Health Minister Simon Harris says the meeting of officials on Friday will ensure we are fully prepared.

"That is a coordination group that will get all of the latest information internationally and decide what advice is appropriate to issue to our health staff - particularly people on the frontline.

"I know yesterday guidance was issued by the HSE to people including paramedics, nurses, doctors and others.

"So this is something I think the appropriate response currently is to monitor very closely.

"I want to assure the Irish people that that's exactly what the HSE and our authorities are doing here in Ireland".