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People who present themselves at Antrim Area Hospital and who test positive for COVID-19 will be sent to England but if that is not possible the infectious diseases beds in the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast will be used.

“If the test comes back positive there is a very well-rehearsed process that we do in conjunction with our colleagues in England,” confirmed Dr. Seamus O’Reilly, medical director for the Northern Health and Social Care Trust.

“We identify an infectious diseases bed in England, if possible, to transfer the patient to.

An Emergency Department Nurse during a demonstration of the Coronavirus pod and COVID-19 virus testing procedures set-up beside the Emergency Department of Antrim Area Hospital, Co Antrim in Northern Ireland.

“If we cannot transfer the patient across for whatever reason, the infectious diseases beds in the Royal (The Royal Victoria in west Belfast) will be used for that purpose, that is ward 7A.”

The announcement comes on the same day the United Kingdom saw the total numnber of confirmed cases of COVID-19 jump to 85.

Three of the new cases in England have been confirmed as having been passed on by person-to-person contact.

There is currently one confirmed case of COVID-19 in Northern Ireland and two confirmed cases in the Republic of Ireland.

Some NI patients with COVID-19 will be sent to England for treatment