Manx Care has scrapped mandatory mask-wearing in clinical settings on the Isle of Man.

The announcement was made by the arms-length healthcare provider on Tuesday afternoon.

Mandatory mask-wearing in certain healthcare settings was reintroduced at the end of June following a spike in Covid-19 admissions,

The move made it compulsory for Manx Care employees working in patient-facing settings to wear masks, as well as members of the public visiting people in hospitals.

People attending appointments or the Accident and Emergency Department were also encouraged to wear them in order to ‘minimise risk and protect our organisational resilience as far as possible.’

In a statement last month Manx Care’s deputy chief executive Paul Moore said masks were being reintroduced to ‘minimise risk and protect our organisational resilience as far as possible’.

‘These [masks] are tried and tested infection prevention and control procedures,’ he added.

‘I appreciate wearing a mask is difficult for some people, but it is important we act quickly and proactively.

‘We will continue to monitor this over the coming days and revise our guidance accordingly in line with further developments.’

Last week, Manx Care revealed that the number of Covid-19 cases at Noble’s Hospital had ‘stabilised’ following a sharp rise in cases reported in the island after this year’s Isle of Man TT.

The marked increase in cases emerged between two to three weeks after tens of thousands of racing enthusiasts began visiting the island for the TT fortnight.

Following the TT, Public Health Isle of Man reminded residents to be wary of a new coronavirus variant which was circulating in the island.

However, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) later said it couldn’t confirm whether the variant was actually circulating on the Isle of Man as there was no testing organised mass testing in the island.

The only Covid-19 testing currently being conducted in the island is for individuals who have the highest risk.

This is done through the hospital or healthcare settings, as well as the use of personally purchased lateral flow tests.

A spokesperson for Manx Care said on Tuesday: ‘Manx Care is withdrawing the requirement for face masks to be worn across its settings.

‘This requirement is ending with immediate effect, unless there is a clinical reason to wear one, or masks are required as part of the personal protective equipment required for transmission-based precautions

‘Whilst masks are no longer universally required in Manx Care’s patient-facing settings, colleagues and visitors are reminded that they should do whatever makes them feel safe – those visiting our settings are welcome to wear face masks supplied by Manx Care should they wish to do so on a voluntary basis.

‘Please be reminded of the basic infection prevention and control advice – all visitors should practise proper handwashing.’