All mandates to fight Covid have been removed — apparently anything goes when it comes to trying to hold on to the treasury benches following the election.
From now on those who test positive will not be required to isolate, and people visiting hospitals or medical centres, etc, will no longer be required to wear masks.
Some who have followed the mandates scrupulously will no doubt feel “stabbed in the back” by the retraction of the mandates at this time, when there are still over 5000 active infections and Covid claims some 10 lives per week.
The timing of this would seem to be dictated by election expediency.
It does, of course, mean that hospitals continuing to “punish” mandated staff by refusing to rehire them is not supported by any functioning mandates, and legal challenges could even see them liable for considerable compensation payments to those they continue to wrong.
DENNIS PENNEFATHER
