by The number of patients with Covid-19 in hospitals has increased to 1,620, close to double the peak last April.
Thirteen hospitals are now listed as having no intensive care beds free and according to overnight figures from the Health Service Executive, there are 30 ICU beds available in the system for adult patients.
143 patients with Covid-19 are in ICUs, with over half of these on ventilators.
Cork University Hospital is caring for 140 Covid-19 patients, the highest number in the country.
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There are 124 patients with Covid-19 at University Hospital Limerick; St Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin has 117 and University Hospital Galway has 116 patients with the virus.
Yesterday, the Department of Health reported eight deaths related to Covid-19, bringing the total number of deaths to 2,352.
A further 4,929 new cases were also reported, bringing the total number of cases in Ireland to 152,539.
The Chair of the Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group Professor Philip Nolan said case numbers appear to be stabilising but the health service remains under strain.
He said modelling currently suggests a peak of between 2,200 and 2,500 people in hospital in 10-14 days’ time and between 200-400 people in ICU.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said Ireland is the “worst in Europe in terms of percentage deterioration and heading for one of the higher countries, in terms of overall incidence”.
However, he said, there is no reason to believe that we can not turn this around very quickly.
