Ms Phil Ní Sheaghdha:

No. What I am saying is that in circumstances in which the status of the patient was not Covid-positive, face masks were not recommended. If the patient had status-positive Covid-19, yes, face masks were recommended at varying degrees and depending on the procedure in which one was engaged. For example, if one was performing an aerosol-generating procedure, face masks were mandatory. There were, however, many circumstances in which the status of the patient was not known and in which face masks were therefore not recommended. There were many areas of healthcare where testing had not been conducted and face masks were not recommended. For example, public health nurses attending clients in their own homes were not advised, and it was not mandatory for them, to wear face masks at that time. Subsequently, we know they should have been mandatory, and from 22 April-----