The transfer got here as Italy stated respiratory sickness an infection charges had hit a document there.
Within the UK, the Division of Well being has to date not introduced any comparable proposals.
However Covid infections have additionally risen sharply right here since November, with an common of three,631 sufferers in hospital with the virus in the course of the Christmas week – a bounce of 57% in a month.
Norovirus was up 61% from the identical interval final yr and severe flu instances have been spiralling upwards.
There have been a mean of 942 sufferers with flu in hospital every day within the week to December 24, together with 48 in vital care.
The document stage for Covid instances within the UK was set in April 2022, when 7.6% of the inhabitants was contaminated with the virus, stated the Workplace for Nationwide Statistics.
Whereas the most recent fee stays round 5% – round one in 20 – the UK Well being Safety Company known as on all these eligible to get a Covid jab to take action, with infections set to succeed in their peak within the remaining winter months. A spokesman stated: “Circumstances are anticipated to rise over the following few weeks following elevated journey and socialising that occurred over the festive interval.
“These at better threat of great sickness from flu and Covid-19 ought to get vaccinated to scale back their probabilities of needing medical care or hospitalisation.”
However as infections unfold throughout the continent, to date solely Spain has put ahead the transfer for necessary masks in hospitals and clinics. Final evening, a UK authorities supply stated: “There aren’t any plans to situation a common masks mandate in all well being settings.”