Covid Ireland: Nearly 30,000 cases reported since Monday as hospital pressure mounts

Pressure on Irish hospitals is mounting in many counties as efforts to work through the backlog caused by Covid continue.

Emergency Departments are under particular strain due to the virus according to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly.

Speaking in Kildare on Monday, he suggested a new method of separating Covid and non-Covid patients would be needed to deal with the level of overcrowding.

University Hospital Limerick had to temporarily close its doors to visitors as it copes with a Covid and Flu outbreak affecting seven wards - with only minor exceptions in place for some visitors.

Meanwhile, two hospitals in Cork have asked that people avoid their A&E Departments as they deal with severe overcrowding, and have asked people to seek help from other services.

Covid Ireland: Nearly 30,000 cases reported since Monday as hospital pressure mounts (Google Maps)

Wednesday’s case figures have come in at 9,070 according to officials at the Health Protection Surveillance Centre.

Of these numbers, 1,715 were recorded through PCR testing, and the remaining 7,355 were positive antigen test results logged on the HSE’s online portal.

As of 8:00 am this morning, 829 Covid-19 patients were in hospitals across the country, which is an increase of 26 on Tuesday’s numbers.

There are 51 patients receiving treatment in intensive care units today, which marks an unchanged figure from yesterday.

Covid Ireland: Nearly 30,000 cases reported since Monday as hospital pressure mounts (PA Wire/Press Association Images)

Since Monday, there have been nearly 30,000 cases of Covid reported via PCR testing as well as Antigens online.

The exact number sits at 27,593, while hospital figures have fluctuated from 808 on Monday to 829 today.

In response to these worrying statistics, the Irish Medical Organisation has said that overcrowding in hospitals is a persistent issue faced by Irish hospitals and is causing danger to patients.

Assistant director of policy and international affairs of the IMO, Vanessa Hetherington, spoke about the issue at an Oireachtas committee hearing.

She explained that there is no ‘quick fix’ to hospital overcrowding, but that in order to deal with the current problem, 5,000 extra hospital beds are needed and the critical care bed capacity needs to be upped to 550 beds.