An Irish citizen has been hospitalized with suspected coronavirus infection in the city of Murmansk in Russia’s Arctic, the local Murmansk Bulletin news outlet reported Monday, citing regional health officials.
The young man had competed in a chess tournament held last weekend at the Meridian Hotel in central Murmansk, the Murmansk Bulletin reported. All of the competitors underwent coronavirus tests, and the Irish man’s results came back as “preliminarily positive.”
The Irish patient was transported to the hospital shortly after he attempted to check in for his flight at Murmansk Airport.
“The Meridian Hotel will temporarily be closed. Doctors will soon begin to carry out sanitation work there. Work is underway to determine the patient’s circle of contacts and their hospitalization,” the Murmansk region’s epidemiological headquarters told the news outlet.
People who were in contact with the patient will also be isolated and the airport will be sanitized, the epidemiological headquarters said.
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