Around 1,000 tourists, some Irish, have been ‘quarantined’ at a Tenerife hotel popular with Northern Ireland holidaymakers, according to Spanish media.
It follows the news that an Italian doctor has tested positive for coronavirus.
The families are in lockdown at the H10 Costa Adeje Palace.
The traveller was found to be infected yesterday after feeling unwell during his stay at the hotel.
Canary Islands president Angel Victor Torres said: “This afternoon the coronavirus protocol has been activated for an Italian tourist in the south of Tenerife.
‘The result from the first test carried out in the Canaries is positive. Tomorrow new tests will take place in Madrid. The patient has been quarantined.”
Italy’s regions of Lombardy and Veneto have suffered the worst, and have been added to a global list of areas affected along with China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and South Korea.
Tenerife flights were affected earlier this week from Belfast and many tourists were prevented from leaving due to a sand storm that could be seen from space.
? Agentes de la Policía Nacional custodian el hotel H10 Costa Adeje Palace, situado en el sur de la isla de Tenerife, donde ha dado positivo por coronavirus el médico italiano que se encontraba de vacaciones > https://t.co/NQ6pL8xjiS pic.twitter.com/ltUJHdV8fm
— Informativos Telecinco (@informativost5) February 25, 2020
We are closely monitoring the situation in Tenerife. We are in touch with local authorities and are providing consular advice. Anyone who has concerns regarding Irish citizens currently in the affected area can contact us on 01 4082527 #COVID19spain #Coronavirius @dfatravelwise
— Irish Foreign Ministry (@dfatirl) February 25, 2020