The second floor of the Dunmore Wing at University Hospital Waterford is set to open.

It’s parts of efforts to deal with any outbreak of the Coronavirus.

There’s still no confirmed cases of Covid 19 in Waterford however the level of screening has increased following advice from the HSE.

Sinn Fein TD David Cullinane met with the General Manager of the Hospital Grace Rothwell today.

“There is some good news that the second floor of the Dunmore Wing is being opened as a containment ward. That’s 21 isolation beds so, if any patients do present with the virus and need to be isolated then space will be there at least.”

He says there are precautions being taken in other departments.

“In Maternity, Paediatrics, Dialysis, Haematology and Oncology that if somebody is being screened or who has contracted the virus that they will be separated from what’s called the general pool of patients. In other words, they wouldn’t be treated in those units they would be treated elsewhere.

“It seems plans are in place.”

Deputy Cullinane says additional resources are being sought from the HSE “to make sure that they can get this new ward up and running”.

“Hospital staff are being transferred over.

“At the moment it seems to be concentrate on the screening, make sure that isolation beds are in place, make sure that every precaution is taken in those critical departments of Maternity, Paediatrics, Dialysis, Haematology and Oncology and to make sure that patients are protected as much as possible.