The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has called for stronger advice on mandatory masks after a surge in the spread of RSV and other respiratory illnesses.
Nurses union representatives said the Chief Medical Officer should issue "strong" public health advice on mask-wearing and handwashing in order to ease the pressure on the health services.
This comes as 534 patients were left waiting on trolleys for a bed in Irish hospitals today. Last Tuesday, that number reached a record high of 931 patients as overcrowding in hospitals reached crisis level.