The Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar has re-registered as a doctor with the country's health service and will work one shift a week to assist during the coronavirus outbreak.

Axar.az reports citing foreign media.

Mr Varadkar was a practising doctor for seven years, working as a junior doctor in St James's Hospital and Connolly Hospital in Dublin before becoming a politician.

There have been just under 5,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Republic of Ireland, with 158 of those diagnosed with the disease subsequently dying.

Following the outbreak in Ireland the taoiseach rejoined the medical register, which he was removed from in 2013.

Mr Varadkar offered his services to Ireland's Health Service Executive (HSE) for "one session a week in areas that are within his scope of practice", according to his office.

"Many of his family and friends are working in the health service. He wanted to help out even in a small way," the spokesman added.