Cabinet Ministers are due to sign off on new laws which will allow the Government to make the wearing of face masks mandatory in certain settings.
Government sources have said no settings in particular have been earmarked as of now and it is a “precautionary move.” It comes as Ministers, including Health Minister Stephen Donnelly have recently expressed concern about the surge in Covid-19 cases, particularly the number of frontline healthcare workers testing positive.
A senior Government source said the move is to prepare legislation in the event public health advice requires mandatory masks in the future. Last week, Ministers said the advice had not changed on mask wearing, but now there has been a shift in response to a potential further winter wave.
