Nearly 90% of healthcare workers who contracted Covid-19 contracted it while on the job, it has been confirmed.
Figures up until May 30 from the HPSC show that 88% picked up the bug at work while 4% got it from contact with a confirmed case.
Of the 8,018 cases of infected healthcare workers in the figures, 2,551 are under investigation without a known source of transmission.
As of May 30, seven healthcare workers had died from the virus, 1,515 (19%) had recovered, and 4,823 were still ill (60%)
INMO General Secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha, said: “One in three COVID-19 cases are healthcare workers. One in ten are nurses.
“And these figures show the vast majority have caught the virus at work.
“This figure cannot simply be accepted as normal.
“We need to tighten procedures and test more to ensure that frontline staff don’t get the virus they are fighting.
“This isn’t just about PPE, it’s about policy too.
“The government should classify this as what it is: a workplace-acquired personal injury.
“This would not only reflect reality, but ensure that the full range of health and safety rules would be rolled out to protect frontline workers.”
