An Asian man is the only one wearing a mask in the crowd before the soccer match between Manchester United and Brugge at Old Trafford in Manchester, the UK on Thursday. Photo: IC

Four more confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported in Ireland, bringing to six the total number of such cases in the country, a health official said here on Wednesday.

Speaking at a press briefing, Tony Holohan, chief medical officer with the Department of Health, said that the four new confirmed patients are all from the west of the country.

They had traveled together to the same affected area in northern Italy, he said, adding that tracing for the close contacts with these newly identified patients has already been under way.

Ireland reported its first confirmed COVID-19 case on Feb. 29. The case involved a boy student from a secondary school in the eastern part of Ireland who had traveled to northern Italy.

Three days after, a female, also from the eastern region, was confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus after coming back from an affected area in northern Italy.

Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has now extended its advice against non-essential travels to four provinces in Italy from the past few towns in the country in a bid to prevent the further spread of the COVID-19 in the country.