The HSE says hospitals are seeing a level of disruption they haven't seen before due to the current Covid surge.
Over 1,600 people with the virus are currently being treated - and daily case numbers remain above 10 thousand.
But Health Minister Stephen Donnelly says the true figures are likely higher - with hundreds of thousands of people getting Covid every week.
HSE Chief Clinical Officer Dr Colm Henry says it's putting a lot of pressure on the healthcare system.
