![](https://mmo.aiircdn.com/277/61d54a73d6ae3.jpg)
Almost 1,500 people were in hospitals with the virus last night
A World Health Organisation expert is calling for Irish people to wear face-masks in confined places again - like shops, some hospitality venues and public transport.
The mask mandate was dropped here nearly a month ago apart from health care setting, but Covid hospitalisations have more than doubled since then.
1,419 people were in public hospitals with the virus last night - compared to less than 600 at the end of February.
Dr. David Nabarro, the W-H-O's special envoy on Covid, says it's time to wear face-masks again: