Taoiseach says mandatory mask-wearing will 'no longer apply' next month as 8,593 new cases confirmed

Speaking in Brussels, Micheál Martin said the government will be accepting Nphet’s advice in relation to mask-wearing.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said regulations relating to mask-wearing and other Covid-19 restrictions will “no longer apply” after February 28.

The Department of Health confirmed 4,821 cases through PCR tests while as of Thursday, 3,772 people registered a positive antigen test through the HSE portal, totaling to 8,593 Covid cases.

As of 8am today, 591 Covid-19 patients are hospitalised with the virus, of whom 57 are in ICU.

Speaking in Brussels, Mr Martin said the government will be accepting Nphet’s advice in relation to mask-wearing.

“We are moving from the emergency phase of the pandemic into a new transitionary phase,” he told reporters.

He said Nphet are satisfied in terms of the disease trajectory but warned that the pandemic is not over. There is still disease out there. “But the conversion to hospitalization and ICU is not significant,” he said.

“And the chief medical officer is clear that the public health rationale no longer applies in terms of retaining regulations around the mandatory wearing of masks,” he said.

However, he stressed the guidelines will remain in healthcare settings and on public transport, stressing that people can still exercise choice.

“People, where they feel comfortable, will take their own decisions and personal behaviour is going to be important here. People may feel more comfortable wearing masks, but they won't be mandatory,” he stressed.

Mr Martin stressed that the pandemic is not over but the emergency phase of it is.

“We are moving on to the emergency phase into a transitionary phase, it's not over. New variants may arise. All we have to do now is to make our system more durable, create a more permanent, stronger, resilient public health system,” he said.

Future of Nphet

Confirming that Nphet is being wound down, Mr Martin said the Government is accepting that recommendation.

“The chief medical officer is recommending the standing down of Nphet, and as I say, Government is accepting the advice. I spoke to the party leaders and we are accepting the advice of Nphet in its entirety,” he said.

He did say, however, that Government will continue to need advice as how to navigate the virus in the coming weeks and to be ready for the winter.

In the context of Nphet now seeking to be wound down, Mr Martin denied there was ever any rivalry between it and the Government but did accept there were tensions.

“Of course, there would be tensions and different perspectives, in terms of advice, from time to time. But fundamentally, if you look at the mortality rates in Ireland, relative to others, I think Ireland has performed relatively well, in relation to Covid-19,” the Taoiseach said.

“I wouldn't describe it as rivalry at all. I've been very consistent, even when I was in opposition from the beginning of the pandemic, public health advice had to be central to our management of Covid-19,” he said.

“And it has been, and I'm going to pay tribute to Nphet, thank all the members of Nphet for the work that they have done, many on a voluntary capacity over and above their normal duties,” he added.

Paying tribute to the Chief Medical Officer, Mr Martin said public health was important in terms of combating a pandemic of this kind. “We saw it in other jurisdictions where public health advice was put to one side with very negative consequences for the people in such jurisdictions,” he said.

On the winding down of Nphet, one minister said there had been relief from some members of Cabinet.

"I saw the facemask regulations unwinding coming, but not the Nphet thing," they said.

"I'm glad it's coming from them, Nphet themselves saying it is a good thing. It means it's not the politicians saying it, it's them saying this is a safe moment to do it.

"There would have been a debate about when it was safe to do it and Government would have been blamed or the finger pointed, but it's the group themselves winding down."

INMO urges people to continue wearing masks

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has called on the Government to urge caution when it comes to the removal of the mask-wearing requirement outside of healthcare settings.

INMO General Secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha said the Government need to consider the current ability of the public health system to cope with additional pressure that the removal of the mask requirement may have on the health system.

“There is a clear link between reduced transmission and mask wearing. Removing the mask requirement in congregated settings particularly with poor ventilation, such as public transport, could have a detrimental impact.

“Our hospitals are under severe pressure. As of this morning, 15,705 patients have been without a bed in our hospitals so far this year. Our nurses and midwives have been dealing with overcrowding coupled with Covid transmission and are burnt out and exhausted. 

We cannot have a case of increased Covid transmission within our hospitals at this juncture.

“The pandemic is far from over for nurses and midwives. Government needs to exercise caution when it comes to your easing mask requirements. Until Government makes headway into dealing with the trolley crisis, the mask mandate should remain in place," she said.