'Difficult to permit' partners  to outpatient maternity appointments, HSE official says 

Dr McKenna also said the current variant of the virus 'is more aggressive when it comes to dealing with pregnant women'

Under the current social distancing measures it would be "difficult to permit" partners to accompany pregnant women to routine outpatient appointments, the HSE’s Clinical Director of Women and Infants Health has said.

Outpatient facilities can "barely cope" with admitting pregnant women themselves with current social distancing measures and could not cope with partners too, Dr Peter McKenna, told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.