European Union officials have recommended that passengers flying from China to bloc countries should have a negative Covid-19 test before arrival as cases of the virus increase.
The EU's Integrated Political Crisis Response group (IPCR) said member states are "strongly encouraged" to bring in a testing requirement, taken not more than 48 hours before departure.
It also recommended that all passengers on flights to and from China wear a medical mask on board at all times.
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As new recommendations begin to creep in once again, some are envisaging the re-introduction of rules more locally to ensure Ireland is not met with another wave of the virus.
The Irish Mirror asked readers whether or not mask-wearing should be made mandatory again on public transport, in shops, and at Mass, and the results are in.
A whopping 68% of respondents said they want to see masks coming back in these settings while 32% are against it.
This comes after health officials in the UK issued stern advice to the public amid a surge in cases of Strep A, Covid, and the flu in recent weeks.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has told people to stay home if they are ill, keep sick children away from school and consider wearing masks in public.
Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said people who become unwell should avoid going out unless it's urgent.
She said mask-wearing is advisable and has called on parents to do whatever possible to prevent flu, Covid, and Strep A spreading through schools, reports The Mirror.
Prof Hopkins said: "It’s important to minimise the spread of infection in schools and other education and childcare settings as much as possible.
"If your child is unwell and has a fever, they should stay home from school or nursery until they feel better and the fever has resolved”.
The Irish public was advised before the Christmas break to wear masks on public transport and to isolate themselves if they become ill.
However, there has been no talk of enforcing any strict measures at this point, despite the intense pressure being felt in hospitals nationwide.
Hundreds of patients are without hospital beds and one hospital consultant says 5,000 more beds are needed in the acute hospital system to cope with the demand.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has described the situation as ‘unacceptable’ and will likely touch on the topic at his first Cabinet meeting this year.
Before Christmas, Varadkar had ruled out a return of mandatory mask-wearing, however, he did say that it would be a good idea if people wore them regardless.
He said: “We are encouraging people to use masks in crowd settings - particularly, for example, on public transport.
“[We’re] very much saying to people that if you have respiratory symptoms, you should stay at home until they are resolved and also really encouraging people who haven’t taken the flu or COVID vaccine to do so.”
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