Varadkar denies healthcare workers have highest global infection rate

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has denied claims that Irish healthcare workers have the highest global rate of infection in terms of the coronavirus pandemic.

The claim was made by the head of the Irish nurses’ representative body on Tuesday.

Phil Ní Sheaghdha, general secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), told the Oireachtas Covid-19 Committee that the figures amounted to "an absolute scandal".

Statistics presented to the committee claimed that up to the end of May, a total of 8,018 cases of infection of healthcare workers were reported.

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Of those, 66 per cent or 4,823 remain out sick, and of that number 1,600 are categorised as nurses and midwives.

However Mr Varadkar said he checked the information given by Ms Ní Sheaghdha with the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC).

“At least, according to them, the figures that she gave were not accurate,” he said.

“I think she suggested that 60 per cent of healthcare workers were still sick with Covid. That is not the case. HPSC says 90 per cent have recovered.

“And they say that we have had 8,000 positive cases out of a healthcare workforce of 250,000 so that’s between a 3 and 4 per cent positivity rate. So they are saying that that was wrong.”

Mr Varadkar added, however, that 8,000 healthcare workers did contract the virus and there was a need to ensure those working in the sector are protected.