The nurses' union has struck an agreement with the government whereby members who are sent home on quarantine will not lose any of their allowances, including their Sunday payments. 

Moreover, the time spent at home will not be taken from their vacation leave. 

There are currently 143 healthcare workers, mostly nurses, in quarantine after dealing with known cases of COVID-19.

The agreement also allows pregnant nurses, those who had cancer in the last five years, nurses who underwent a cardiac operation in the last six months or those were hospitalised with a respiratory condition in the past six months, to be assigned non-clinical duties. If this was not possible, they are to be relieved from their duties.

Nurses working more than eight hours on a shift will be granted 12 hours of additional off-hours as part of their vacation leave to make up for vacation leave adjustments.

The agreement also extends meal allowances to Mount Carmel Hospital employees and the union is expecting that St Vincent de Paul and other homes for the elderly will follow suit. It told members that a similar agreement covering nurses working in homes for the elderly is expected to be signed with the government in the coming days. 

Government has also agreed to give nurses with children up to 10 years old an allowance of €400 per month to cover babysitting services if schools are shut.

The agreement comes on the heels of planned action taken by the union of midwives and nurses over the past week has resulted in an agreement with the government.