Facemasks no longer needed in healthcare settings from today

Previously, it had been mandatory to wear a facemask or other personal protective equipment (PPE) while in hospitals or your local GP in order to stop the spread of covid.

The wearing of facemasks in hospitals and other healthcare settings is no longer a requirement.

The decision was made by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) at the beginning of April.

Previously, it had been mandatory to wear a facemask or other personal protective equipment (PPE) while in hospitals or your local GP in order to stop the spread of covid.

The HPSC did note that masks will still be needed in some circumstances, including for healthcare staff when they are dealing with a patient with "respiratory viral symptoms".

In a statement at the time, the HPSC said "outside of periods of high levels of community transmission" it will be appropriate to move away from universal use of masks for healthcare workers, patients and visitors in healthcare settings.

However, the decision to remove the requirement has faced criticism from a number of healthcare groups, including the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).

General secreatary Phil Ní Sheaghdha noted: "When you have an overcrowded environment with overcrowded wards, overcrowded EDS, this is absolutely the wrong move right now."

Per HPSC data, last week, there were 12 covid-19 outbreaks in hospitals, 16 in nursing homes and seven in community hospitals and residential institutions.

It comes as overcrowding in hospitals continues to cause concern with the INMO saying the crisis in Cork is now "out of control". Tuesday say two Cork hospitals — Cork University Hospital (CUH) and Mercy University Hospital — with record overcrowding. 

There were 132 patients admitted to hospital without a bed across both sites — 92 in CUH and 40 in the Mercy. Some 613 patients were being treated on a trolley or chair nationwide on Tuesday morning.