Taoiseach rules out return to mandatory mask wearing this winter

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has ruled out the possibility of mask wearing being made mandatory this winter, despite the latest Covid-19 variant appearing to be spreading faster than previous strains.

Mask wearing became a legal requirement during 2020 and 2021 in range of environments, including in salons and spas.

According to the Taoiseach, Ireland is now moving into a different phase of the pandemic, with new variants developing all the time, but he doubted that there would be any need to return to compulsory mask wearing.

“We’re in a very different phase when it comes to dealing with Covid,” he noted. “It’s become a virus that is going to be with us forever, and there will be waves of Covid just like there are waves of flu, but I think it’s very unlikely that people will have to wear masks.

“People might be advised to wear masks in certain circumstances, certainly if they have symptoms or they’re just recovering from Covid, but I don’t think a legal mandate will come back.”

Recently the HSE warned that the number of Covid-19 cases in Ireland was trending upward due to the new Eris strain.

As well as the Eris strain, there is now concern about another Pirola variant, which is also thought to be highly transmissible.

There has been a noted rise in the number of people wearing masks on the streets and in other environments as they opt to self-protect from the ongoing threat of the virus.