Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Dublin Live
Dublin Live
National
Aakanksha Surve

Covid-19 Ireland: Face masks could be made mandatory again, HSE chief warns

Face masks could be made mandatory again in certain settings, HSE chief Paul Reid has warned.

The "significant" rise in Covid-19 cases has resulted in fears that a summer wave could hit Ireland.

There are over 600 patients with the virus in hospital across the country as of Monday morning. Of those, 23 people are in ICU.

Read more: Professor Luke O'Neill says new Covid-19 vaccine could last a year

This is a major jump from yesterday when 574 hospital cases were recorded.

Mr Reid said the HSE is considering bringing back the mask mandate on public transport and enclosed spaces to help contain the increasing number of infections.

He told the Irish Examiner: "Yes, I think any time we get a trend like we’re getting at the moment it has to trigger considerations for reduced transmission.

"We’re strongly watching what’s happening. Our immediate priority is hospital cases, which are significantly rising."

Mr Reid added that authorities were worried about the virus spreading to nursing homes which could lead to restrictions on visitors.

Case numbers in nursing homes are increasing but experts are not seeing "significant harm or illness".

Read more: Taoiseach Michael Martin says Covid-19 'with us for the long-term'

Read more: Leading Covid expert warns of 'summer wave' as cases continue to rise

Sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter to get all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.