The Irish Nurses & Midwives Organisation have called for a return to mask wearing, as the increase in covid cases is putting pressure on hospitals.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, General Secretary of the INMO Phil Ní Sheaghdha warned that hospitals do not have the capacity to deal with even a small increase in cases.
The INMO's call for a return to mask wearing comes after the Department of Health reported 63,954 cases of Covid-19 since St Patrick's Day.
Ms Ní Sheaghdha
told RTÉ there were 570 people on trolleys around the country yesterday, putting pressure on an already busy and overcrowded system. She said: "We are managing, but we are getting to a point where it is unsafe care and nobody can stand over that."
She also warned that Irish hospitals are now becoming "reservoirs for Covid", and that being admitted into hospital is now a danger.
Ms Ní Sheaghdha said:
We cannot continue with elective care because we don't have enough room in our hospitals and the practice of nursing people with Covid with an airborne infectious disease with those who don't, is very, very dangerous.
She also said there's a significant problem with poor ventilation in hospitals, and no sign of measures being taken to correct this.
Since February 28th of this year, masks have longer been mandatory in hospitality settings, or in schools, shops, and on public transport.
However, they are still required in healthcare settings, such as hospitals and nursing homes.
Header image via Shutterstock
READ NEXT: Derry Girls get a nod in the latest Simpsons episode
