There were 1,425 patients with Covid in hospitals across the country at 8 am this morning, up from 1,395 from yesterday.
The high case numbers combined with staff absences have put huge pressure on the health service.
At the start of the week there were over 100 people being treated at Cork University and the Mercy University Hospitals with Covid 19
Professor Sam McConkey from the RCSI says overcrowding in our hospitals is a significant problem
"All Irish hospitals, particularly emergency departments are very overcrowded and I think it's fair to say dangerously overcrowded, that means there aren't enough staff to provide even basic things like giving IV fluids reliably to people who need them in the emergency department. So I think it's correct to say dangerously overcrowded in many of the EDS in Ireland, at this point, unfortunately"
