THERE ARE NOW 1,846 people with Covid-19 in hospital and 173 people in ICU.
HSE CEO Paul Reid said that “unfortunately” the hospital numbers continue to rise. Hospitalisation figures have more than tripled since the start of the month.
“People are extremely sick with this virus. Despite some hopeful trends on transmission levels, it’s still hugely prevalent in your area. Please stick with us,” Reid said.
133 people were admitted to hospital in the past 24 hours and 105 people were discharged.
44% of all Covid-19 cases have been reported in the last 14 days, Professor Philp Nolan of the Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group said yesterday.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn said that Covid-19 is having a “significant impact” on the Irish health system, but that we can change that trajectory by following public health guidance.
“The best way we can protect ourselves and each other is by staying home and only leaving home for essential journeys. We have the power to change the trajectory of the disease in our communities. We must hold firm and continue to stay home.”
The figures for vaccination numbers are now included on the Covid-19 Data Hub.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said the figures will be “updated regularly” and will move to daily reporting from 25 January.
It currently shows that 77,303 people have so far received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine in Ireland, accounting for 1.58% of the population.
“Daily figures will be available on the Covid App from February 1,” Donnelly confirmed on Twitter.
Dr Conor Deasy, consultant in emergency medicine at Cork University Hospital, said staff in CUH are “under a lot of pressure”.
“Basically every patient and colleague in the hospital right now potentially has Covid,” Deasy said on RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.
He said staff are in full PPE for all patients just in case either has Covid-19.
Deasy added that the vast majority of Covid-19 patients in CUH have tested positive in the past week.
“Some surgeons had to be redeployed to medical wards,” he said, comparing this to “asking a hurler who plays in the full-back line to play in the full-forward line”.
He said staff have “seen a real step up this week” in critical patients and the situation will be “all hands on deck” in the coming days.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say