Face coverings not a ‘magic shield’ against Covid-19, says Holohan

Face coverings are not a "magic shield" to protect against Covid-19, Dr Tony Holohan, the State's chief medical officer, has said.

He was speaking after Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced people will be advised to wear face coverings on public transport and in retail shops, but it will not be a "legal requirement".

From Monday the country will move into the first phase of a roadmap to lift the coronavirus restrictions.

The Government’s public health advice now recommends wearing face coverings on public transport or in “enclosed indoor public areas,” such as retail stores, Mr Varadkar said.

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However, Dr Holohan said this is intended as an “additional hygiene measure” and not a substitute for other actions.

He said it will give “additional protection” but if people stop social distancing or washing hands, or adjust the mask without washing hands, it would be problematic. On balance this will help to add to the measures that are in place, while the evidence was not strong, Dr Holohan said.

People should not see wearing face coverings as “a substitute” for the other measures, Mr Varadkar said on Friday.

The general public was being advised against wearing surgical or respiratory face masks, Mr Varadkar said.

“While there is no shortage of them at the moment, if we had millions of people using them every day there is a risk that it might lead to a shortage for healthcare workers,” he said.

‘Criticise or judge’

The Government was "very eager" that people did not "criticise or judge" others for not wearing face coverings in public, Minister for Health Simon Harris said.

There were certain situations where people would be unable to wear the coverings due to allergies, or if people had sensitivity issues due to conditions such as autism, he said.

The latest public health advice would not be recommending people under the age of 13 wear the face coverings, Mr Harris said.

Trade union Siptu said its members were “disappointed” at the announcement and called for face coverings to be mandatory not advisory on public bus, rail and tram services.

“Public transport workers are frontline essential workers and their safety and that of their families must be afforded every protection possible to allow them to continue to provide a service,” it said.

Instructional videos on how to make face coverings at home will be published online, Mr Harris said.

An instructional video released by the HSE about the safe wearing of face coverings says they can help those who have Covid-19 but do not know it from spreading it to others, but is not a replacement for hand-washing or keeping a two-metre distance.

The video advises people to:

1.Wash their hands well before putting the face covering on.
2.Without touching the front they are advised to put it on covering their nose or chin.
3. They should hook the straps so they fit closely to the face.
4. People should avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth at all times.
5. People should take the covering off from behind and store it in a plastic bag until it can be washed.
6. Once it is off it is important to wash hands with water, and the face mask can be washed in a normal wash.