LISTEN - Coronavirus: Ireland vs Italy Six Nations game postponed due to outbreak

By Q Radio News

Ireland's Six Nations match against Italy in Dublin next month has been postponed amid concerns over the coronavirus.

The IRFU confirmed the news after a meeting between their chief executive Phillip Browne and health minister Simon Harris on Wednesday.

Mr Browne says it wasn't a decision that was taken lightly:

The governing body then said in a statement: "At the outset we made it clear that the IRFU was supportive of the government's need to protect public health in relation to the Coronavirus.

"We were then advised, formally, that The National Public Health Emergency team has determined that the series of matches should not proceed, in the interests of Public Health.

"The IRFU is happy to comply with this instruction.

"We will immediately begin to work with our Six Nations partners to look at the possibility of rescheduling the matches and would hope to have an update on this in the coming days."

On Tuesday, Harris voiced worries over the Italy team and supporters travelling to Ireland for the fixture at the Aviva Stadium on March 7, due to the spread of coronavirus across parts of northern Italy and the south.

He said that his department believed the game should not go ahead, saying: "The government are here to lead the country in relation to public health decisions. I think it's somewhat unfair to be asking the IRFU to make decisions like this."

#shouldertoshoulder

Ireland's @SixNationsRugby matches v Italy are off.

We will immediately begin to work with our Six Nations partners to look at the possibility of rescheduling the matches and would hope to have an update on this in the coming days.https://t.co/80ByyvOd3E

— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) February 26, 2020

Eleven people have died in Italy due to the virus, while the number of confirmed cases in the country has risen to 322.

Scotland Women's match in Italy on Sunday was cancelled and is yet to be rearranged, while two PRO14 matches, including Ulster's clash with Treviso, were also called off.

England are currently scheduled to play Italy in Rome on Saturday March 14 and towns in the regions of Lombardy and Veneto, which are hundreds of miles north of the capital, have been on lockdown as Italy became the country with the largest number of cases in Europe over the weekend.
Meanwhile, 

An Isolation ward has been set up at the Royal Victoria hospital in Belfast - to deal with any confirmed cases of Coronavirus.

A short time ago, Northern Ireland’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Michael McBride - confirmed that so far, the province has NO cases of Coronavirus.

The update comes after hundreds of local children from a number of schools - were sent home yesterday after returning from ski trips - in virus hit Italy.