The group representing private and voluntary nursing homes expressed concern about the availability of face masks in the coming weeks following guidelines to healthcare staff by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HSPC).
Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) Chief executive Tadhg Daly told RTÉ's Pandemic podcast: "A directive issued this week that all healthcare workers should wear face masks.
That is going to put significant pressure on the availability of face masks over the coming weeks". Mr Daly said that despite improvements there were continuing concerns around the supply of personal protection equipment (PPE).
Mr Daly said that where there had been Covid-19 outbreaks, the HSE had been very responsive in supplying PPE. However he said