The Minister for Health will tomorrow sign a provision allowing for the compulsory quarantine of people suspected of having the SARS virus.
Under the infectious disease regulations compulsory quarantine is allowed for certain diseases, the SARS virus will now be among them.
The Director of Public Health in the affected health board area will have the power to place an individual or group of individuals in compulsory quarantine.
Compulsory quarantine has to date not been introduced in any of those countries affected by the SARS virus.
Though it was in use in Republic during the TB epidemics of the 1940s and 50s, Chief Medical Officer Dr Jim Kiely admitted that he could not recall a single instance in which compulsory quarantine had been implemented.
Speaking at the Department of Health's daily briefing on the SARS threat, Dr Kiely explained the significance of the move.
"If in the interests of public health it was required that someone be quarantined then this regulation gives us the power to do so," he stated.
Such quarantine could be based in a number of locations. In the case of individuals, isolation in the home is regarded as the most effective means.
For groups of 3 to 4 patients, isolation in a small unit is recommended. In the event of more widespread infection, larger units, such as Cherry Orchard Hospital and other former infectious disease hospitals, would be utilised.
Minster for Health, Mr Martin, confirmed that a total of 2,400 individual rooms were available within the acute hospital system nationwide, to be used should quarantine cases occur.
It was also announced today that the Department of Health has written to the Canadian authorities to seek reassurances concerning the levels of pro-active screening in place for flights leaving from Toronto. Such flights are set to re-start this weekend.
This follows today's lifting of the Department of Health's travel advisory concerning Toronto.
The SARS expert group will tomorrow meet again tomorrow, and World Health Organisation representative Dr Richard Peabody is expected to attend the meeting, to provide technical assistance to the group on the public health implications of the staging of the Special Olympics.