THE MATER HOSPITAL in Dublin is limiting activities to essential services from this evening due to the impact of the “latest wave” of Covid-19.

Outpatient appointments and elective surgeries in the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital “will be curtailed to essential services until further notice”, the hospital confirmed this evening.

The Mater has the highest number of patients with Covid-19 of any acute hospital in the country – 57 as of 8pm yesterday evening.

Its intensive care unit also has the most Covid-19 patients with 16 confirmed cases.

In a statement, the Mater said it “regrets the impact that this will have on our patients but these new arrangements are necessary in order to deal with the impact of the latest wave of Covid-19″.

Patients with appointments that are being deferred will be contacted by phone, the hospital said, and patients should attend their appointment as normal unless they receive a phone call. 

The only visitors who are permitted are those visiting patients in critical care, vulnerable young adults, or loved ones who are receiving end-of-life care, but no children are allowed to visit under any circumstances. 

The Mater Emergency Department is “extremely busy with high numbers attending”.

“Where possible it is advisable that patients seek help from their GP or local injury clinic unless they think they require hospital care,” the hospital advised.

“We apologise for this inconvenience but at present patients are experiencing long waits for non-emergency conditions.

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“Our staff across every part of the hospital are working around the clock to deal with the virus, care for those infected and to protect and care for other patients in the hospital.

“The Mater Hospital is employing all infection control measures and every effort is being made to manage and control the spread of the virus. We thank the public and our patients for their cooperation at this time.”

Overall, as of 8am today, there were 549 Covid-19 patients in hospital, including 96 in ICU.

Public health officials confirmed 5,483 new cases of Covid-19 in Ireland this evening, the fifth-highest daily figure that has been recorded here to date.