Healthcare workers may have failed to declare symptoms of coronavirus out of fear of losing additional overtime or premium payments, an Oireachtas committee will hear on Tuesday. The committee will hear on Tuesday from trade unions and the Health Service Executive about the 8,300 healthcare workers – almost a third of all known Covid-19 cases in the State – who have contracted the disease. The State’s acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn on Monday night warned employers and workers to adhere to public health precautions after expressing concerns about outbreaks in workplaces. The medic used Monday’s National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) briefing at the Department of Health to remind workers to keep a physical distance from colleagues. He reported no new deaths from the disease and six new confirmed cases.

Source: The Irish Times July 21, 2020 07:17 UTC