SIPTU has voiced alarm about the number of healthcare workers testing positive for Covid-19, and has called for regular testing of all health staff.
According to the Department of Health, staff on the front line of delivering care account for over a quarter - 26% - of all cases identified in the Republic.
SIPTU Health Division Organiser Paul Bell noted that 63% of these cases were not related to travel, and that the median age for those infected was 45.
He said members had reported to the union that Personal Protective Equipment was not readily available to all health workers in the quantities required, and called on the Government to treat this issue as a high priority.