While there has been confirmed cases of animals infected with coronavirus, there is no evidence which suggests humans can get the virus from domestic pets - however people are still being advised to exercise caution.
A spokesperson for Veterinary Ireland says that despite the absence of such evidence, advice from the profession may change should new evidence emerge in the coming weeks.
There are 1.4 million people around the world infected by the novel coronavirus, and authorities in China believe that wild animals sold in a Wuhan market are the source of the pandemic.
It has been widely assumed that Covid-19 originated in a bat species and was transmitted to humans through an intermediary host which has not yet been identified.